Involving interested parties has always been a priority and a commitment of the European co-operation for Accreditation. The objective is firstly to establish confidence, and secondly to enable parties interested in accreditation to put their views forward to EA.

The European Commission, through Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and the General Guidelines for the Cooperation between the European co-operation for Accreditation and the European Commission, the European Free Trade Association and the competent national authorities, establishes formal relations between EA, National Accreditation Bodies (NAB) and stakeholders. According Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, EA shall consult all relevant stakeholders, so that the broadest possible range of views is taken into account in drawing up accreditation guidelines and other documents and that the procedures are open and transparent.

It is important to highlight the considerable contribution that representatives from the various stakeholder groups make to the work of EA. They participate in all the EA technical committees.

EA-1/15 EA Policy for Relation with Stakeholders gives EA and its stakeholders the framework to maintain constructive and transparent cooperation through active participation in EA work.

Close relations with stakeholders help EA to ensure that accreditation remains connected to the market and reactive to technological, legislative and societal changes. It also creates a link enabling EA Members to adapt their accreditation services on a continuous basis, avoiding creating an unnecessary burden on Conformity Assessment Bodies and businesses.

According to this policy, a distinct ‘Recognized Stakeholder’ status with associated rights and obligations is granted to organizations that have a particular institutional interest in contributing to EA’s technical activities and wish to become more directly involved in EA’s associative life.

Recognized Stakeholders must be organizations or bodies, either private or public, with a distinct European or international role (in the latter case, predominantly that proactively contribute to European social and economic matters) and a clear interest in accreditation and conformity assessment activities. Associations, in particular, must have significant membership from the EU and EFTA Member States.

Applications for the Recognized Stakeholder status shall be sent to the EA Secretariat.

Private and public entities represented in the EA Advisory Board (EAAB) are treated as Recognized Stakeholders of right. If desired by the entity concerned, such treatment is maintained even after completion of the tenure on the Board.

Today, EA has 37 Recognized Stakeholders representing regulators, industry, conformity assessment bodies, consumers and standardization and metrology organizations.

The organisations listed below, whose full details are in EA-INF/02: Contact Persons of EA Members, Recognized Stakeholders and Observers, are part of EA Recognised Stakeholders.