This article is from DAkkS, the German accreditation body, and EA Member.
The machine-readable digital accreditation symbol enables conformity assessment attestations and laboratory reports to be issued electronically. DAkkS (the German National Accreditation Body) is a key player in the German quality infrastructure and was the first accreditation body worldwide to introduce a digital accreditation symbol as an electronic seal. The symbol is electronically verifiable in real-time and worldwide. It protects digitally sealed attestations (eAttestations) against unauthorised alteration by third parties.
Preceded by a pilot project launched in spring 2023, DAkkS introduced the digital accreditation symbol in April 2024. Particularly with the digital transformation of business and industry accelerating, the digital accreditation symbol can make a valuable contribution concerning digitised international supply chains and the need to make necessary conformity assessment statements for trade documents digitally available.
Verifying conformity assessment attestations quickly and reliably
Being able to verify product information and respective conformity attestations quickly and reliably is essential in international trade. Using the digital accreditation symbol helps to strengthen and assure trust in conformity assessment statements and the connected declarations of accreditation in the digital space. An electronic seal, which provides technical assurance of the origin and integrity of the data, forms the basis for the digital accreditation symbol. It enables the issuance of tamper-proof attestations – as so-called eAttestations – by accredited bodies and the verification that the content of the eAttestation has not been altered after its issuance. At the same time, the digital accreditation symbol ensures the source of origin of an eAttestation issued by an accredited body. This is achieved by providing each accredited conformity assessment body (CAB) with a digital identity linked to its unique, machine-readable accreditation number. The electronic seal is developed according to the European eIDAS regulation and therefore easily applicable in all European countries.
Interoperability with other safeguarding processes and data sovereignty for CABs
Interoperability tests conducted with other accreditation bodies of partner countries of the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action have demonstrated that the digital accreditation symbol can be correctly read with usual applications employed and can be accepted as digital proof of accreditation.
Particularly good interoperability with other safeguarding processes, such as blockchain, is a noteworthy feature of the cryptographic system – public key infrastructure (PKI) – technically enabling the digital accreditation symbol as an electronic seal. In principle, all software programs that can process digital signatures on PDF or XML documents are suitable for reading and verifying the digital accreditation symbol.
Furthermore, the PKI system ensures the integrity of the document and also guarantees the data sovereignty of the conformity assessment body. It allows the CAB to seal its documents independently with its digital accreditation symbol and issue them digitally. By using the digital accreditation symbol, accredited CABs can cost-effectively secure attestations in the digital world.
Note: Forms for DAkkS-accredited CABs to apply for the digital accreditation symbol are currently only available in German.
“Important building block for establishing a global, trustworthy digital chain of evidence”
DAkkS Chief Executive Officer Dr.-Ing. Stephan Finke: “With the digital accreditation symbol, we ensure trust in the accreditation’s declaration and enable the tamper-proof issue of attestations from accredited bodies. These are important building blocks for establishing a global, trustworthy digital chain of evidence.”
For more information on the digital accreditation symbol, click here.
Background
DAkkS, the German accreditation body
DAkkS is the national accreditation authority of the Federal Republic of Germany and a key player in the German and global quality infrastructure. It assesses, confirms and monitors the independence and technical competence of laboratories, and of testing, inspection and certification bodies in a wide range of industries. With an accreditation, DAkkS attests that these bodies can perform their work competently and in accordance with the requirements of internationally applicable standards, legal bases and relevant rules. With the accreditations it issues, DAkkS helps to make products, processes and services safer and to simplify trade in Europe and around the world on the basis of reciprocal agreements.
Global Project Quality Infrastructure
As a key component of the German quality infrastructure, DAkkS participates in the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI), an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. As part of the GPQI, the participating countries of Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Mexico are working together with Germany to reduce technical barriers to trade, improve the safety of products and strengthen consumer protection in the long term. The participants have the ability to table their issues, and these issues are then addressed together to enable the development of meaningful approaches to ensuring well-functioning and compatible quality infrastructures.