Consumers want to have confidence in the goods and services they buy and use. Accreditation exists to give that confidence.

How is this possible?

Products are manufactured and food is supplied in conformity with specific quality, security or safety requirements.

Laboratories or certifiers check and confirm that conformity.

Reports and certificates that go with products or services can be trusted readily when they are issued by accredited laboratories or certifiers.

Accreditation is indeed the proof that the laboratory or certifier is:

• impartial and independent from the manufacturer or supplier;
• competent, to do its job in a sustainable manner.

Confidence in the products and services, irrespective of where they come from, is based on accreditation thanks to the existing multilateral agreements signed by National Accreditation Bodies (NABs) in Europe and at worldwide level.

When signatories recognize that the accreditation they deliver can be trusted equally, it means that products do not need to be re-tested or re-certified on every new market: tested once, certified once by an accredited laboratories or certifier means acceptable everywhere!

Through accreditation and harmonized application of standards, consumers can therefore have confidence in the products and services they purchase on the European market.

Here are a few examples to illustrate how accreditation positively impacts your day-to-day life:

Guaranteeing the compliance to standards and quality of face masks

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, there is a huge demand for masks and it is important to ensure that appropriate masks ensuring adequate protection are swiftly made available to those who need it most. But the masks shall be tested in order to ensure that the essential requirements are met.
Tests of masks are performed by laboratories. Click here to download the list of laboratories, which are accredited for the scope EN 14683 and/or EN 149.

Ensuring the effective use of CCTV (remote surveillance) through accredited certification

The UK Government has introduced a surveillance camera code of practice that contains 12 guiding principles to ensure and demonstrate to communities that cameras are only ever used proportionately, transparently and effectively by the relevant authorities (police, police crime commissioners, local authorities and non-regular police forces). Accredited third-party certification enables organizations to clearly demonstrate that they comply with the surveillance camera code of practice. Certification indicates best practice and compliance with the code.

Residential Care Home inspection

Accredited inspection for residential care homes raises standards, resulting in improved social care, and provides independent affirmation that the care provider is compliant with the rigorous standards used by the accredited inspection body.

Inspection bodies are assessed against the internationally recognized inspection standard EN ISO/IEC 17020 to carry out inspections of social care providers.

The inspections focus on competence, impartiality and performance capability to assure patients and their families of the high quality of care provided by residential care homes.

Microgeneration for the home

Consumers seeking reassurance on the suitability of renewable energy products and installers can take confidence from accreditation. Products such as wind turbines or PPV Solar panels are tested in an accredited laboratory to measure performance, durability, safety and environmentally friendly considerations. Installation companies gain accredited certification to demonstrate compliance.

National Accreditation Bodies (NABs) perform assessments of laboratories and certification, verification or inspection bodies (the generic term for these bodies is Conformity Assessment Bodies) in order to confirm their technical competence and impartiality to perform tests, measures, certifications, inspection, verification.

Accreditation:

• delivers the objective proof that conformity assessment activities are provided by competent services suppliers;
• helps to ensure that products and services marketed in Europe meet relevant standards of quality and safety.

Accreditation increases the range of safe goods and services available on the market.

Here you will find some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).  If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact us.