§6.7.1 Cooperation between accreditation bodies

Accreditation as an impartial means of assessing and conveying formal demonstration of the technical competence, impartiality and professional integrity of conformity assessment bodies is an effective quality infrastructure tool used worldwide. At international level, cooperation between accreditation bodies takes place within two organisations: namely within the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) between accreditation bodies accrediting certification (products and management systems) bodies and within the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) between accreditation bodies accrediting laboratories and inspection bodies. Both organisations provide for multilateral mutual recognition arrangements between its accreditation body members. IAF manages a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA), while ILAC operates a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). These multilateral mutual recognition arrangements/agreements of competence at technical level between accreditation bodies have the ultimate aim to allow products and services accompanied by accredited conformity attestations to enter foreign markets without the need for re-testing or re-certification in the import country. The objective of such recognition arrangement/ agreements between accreditation bodies is therefore to contribute to reinforce the acceptance of conformity assessment results. At the regional level, to date (275), cooperation organisations between accreditation bodies have been established in: — Europe: European co-operation for accreditation (EA) — America: Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) — Asia – Pacific: Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) — Africa: Southern African Development Community Accreditation (SADCA) — Africa: African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC) — Middle East: Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC) Except for SADCA, AFRAC and ARAC which are currently developing their regional mutual recognition arrangements, the above listed cooperation organisations have agreements/arrangements in place within their region which the ILAC/IAF arrangements build upon. By granting special recognition IAF accepts the mutual recognition arrangements established within EA, IAAC and PAC: accreditation bodies being member of IAF and signatories to the EA Multilateral agreement (EA MLA) or the PAC Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (PAC MLA) are automatically accepted into the IAF MLA. ILAC accepts the mutual recognition arrangements and underlying evaluation procedures of EA, APLAC, and IAAC. Accreditation bodies which are not affiliated to any recognised regional cooperation entity may apply directly to ILAC and/or IAF for evaluation and recognition. The requirements which the Regulation sets for accreditation bodies are in line with the globally accepted requirements laid down in the relevant international standards, although some of them can be perceived as being more rigorous. In particular: — Accreditation is carried out by one single national accreditation body appointed by its Member State (Article 4.1) — Accreditation is performed as a public authority activity (Article 4.5) — National accreditation bodies operates free from commercial motivations (Article 8.1) and on a not-for- profit basis (Article 4.7) — National accreditation bodies do not compete with conformity assessment bodies or among each other (Art 6.1 and Article 6.2) — Cross-border accreditation Article 7 (within the EU and EEA)

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07