The EA Laboratory Committee (EALC), hosted by DAkkS, the German NAB met on 25-27 September 2017 in Berlin.

The first day in the afternoon, a workshop was proposed. It gathered nearly 60 participants representing 43 NABs and 6 stakeholders keen to discuss the new ISO/IEC 17025 and how to prepare for its implementation. A lot of fruitful discussions and consistent feedback given by the 6 sub-groups will be used to design the LC train-the-trainer workshop to be held in January in Paris, at COFRAC premises. During the plenary meeting, several issues were discussed:

– EA Strategy 2025: a TFG was appointed to review and identify critical areas where harmonization would be needed, in order to define clearly the activities in terms of their “accreditability” for new schemes and consider a preferred standard to be used. The TFG will also have to look at how to implement the EA Core Values in the work and operations of the EALC.

– EEE-PT WG report: the LC agreed to mandate the EA LC Management Group to review the results of the survey circulated by the WG on the use of EA-4/18 and propose a new work item (NWI) for the revision of EA-4/18 Guidance on the level and frequency of proficiency testing participation. The EEE-PT WG is ready to revise the document, as required by EA. The MG will report back to the WG before their November 2017 meeting.
Regarding the Guidelines for the assessment of ILC with few participants in the accreditation process, the LC approved the final draft and decided to circulate it for a reduced 30-days EA comment period.

The EEE-PT WG reviewed EA-3/04 Use of Proficiency Testing as a Tool for Accreditation in Testing and recommends its withdrawal. The LC members supported the recommendation and will submit the relevant resolution to the General Assembly for decision at its November meeting.

– EURACHEM report: the LC agreed to reconsider whether EA-4/14 Selection and Use of Reference Materials shall be maintained as an EA separate document when the EURACHEM mirror document on Selection and Use of Reference Materials will be available for review.

– Cooperation with EGOLF – Accreditation for EXAP standards: LC appointed COFRAC (the French NAB), DAkkS (the German NAB), ENAC (the Spanish NAB), BELAC (the Belgian NAB), ACCREDIA (the Italian NAB), UKAS (the English NAB) as the members of the EGOLF TFG and Tadeusz Matras, PCA (the Polish NAB) as the Convenor to investigate the accreditation practices in force in the scheme and the reasons why NABs are taking one route or another. A link with Construction Products regulation and the EA Certification Committee will be activated in due course in the project.

– Elections of LC MG members: After agreeing to rename the TN Mechanical, electrical and Toy testing in TN Mechanical, Electrical, Construction and Consumer goods, the LC members elected:

  • Trevor Thompson (UKAS, the English NAB), Vice Chair and Convenor of TN Calibration,
  • Ursula Ellerbeck (DAkkS, the German NAB), Convenor of TN Environment,
  • Ioannis Sitaras (ESYD, the Greek NAB), Convenor of TN Food/Feed,
  • Pavel Nosek (CAI, the Ioannis Czech NAB), Convenor of TN Forensics,
  • Sergio Guzzi (ACCREDIA, the Italian NAB), Convenor of TN PTP/RMP,
  • Kondylia Sotiriou (ESYD, the Greek NAB), and Ludmila Marina (LATKA, the Latvian NAB), as Co-Convenors of TN Mechanical, electrical, construction and consumer goods and
  • Rolf Straub, Convenor of WG Health Care.

Taking account of the wide range of different subjects potentially covered by the “new” TN Mechanical, Electrical, Construction and Consumer goods, it was agreed to mandate Kondylia Sotiriou and Ludmila Marina to discuss and come up with a proposal to split the TN into two TN with relevant scopes. A final decision will be taken, if necessary, by the LC in March 2018.

Furthermore, LC decided to appoint Rodothea Koniotou as the WG Health Care reporter seating in the MG to report on the WG activities in the absence of the Convenor, at the MG and LC meetings.

– WG ILC testing and calibration: LC decided to disband the 2 WGs with a one-year transition period for WG ILC in calibration to allow the WG to properly complete its work plan. The WG ILC in calibration may need to hold one physical meeting in 2018. The Committee thanked Anna Stefanidou (ESYD) and Martin Czaske (DAkkS), as well as all members of the 2 WGs for all the great work achieved.

– Revision of LC terms of reference: LC approved the revised terms of reference (ToR) with the additional change made to accommodate EUROLAB comment. The ToR will be submitted to the GA for endorsement in November.

– LC train-the-trainer workshop on ISO/IEC 17025 (January 2018): The LC confirmed that the workshop would be held in 2 x 2 days sessions, hosted by COFRAC, the French NAB. Each EA Full and Associate NAB member will be invited to send one delegate to one of the session. In parallel, the EA Secretariat will ask APLAC to share their training material, in turn EA will be ready to share its own material to be used in January.

– TN Food and Feed – Report: LC approved the draft Guidance on pesticides residues analysis and decided that it can be circulated for EA comments for a 60-days comment period.

– TN Environment: LC agreed that the TN will look into the point of the status of CEN TS 15675 and come up with a recommendation on whether it shall be withdrawn as a level 4 standard under the EA MLA.

– TFG PTP/RMP: LC agreed to disband the TFG PTP/RMP for it completed its tasks successfully. The LC thanked Rob Bettinson (UKAS) for the successful results of the TFG. The EA MLA for PTP started in April 2017 with 12 NABs becoming signatories in the field, and all is in place for the first peer evaluations for RMP to start in January 2018.

The next EALC meeting, hosted by ENAC, the Spanish NAB, will be held on 14-15 March 2018 in Madrid. The MG will meet the day before on 13 March.