On 25 May 2023, the EA General Assembly agreed that San Marino Accreditation Service become a new EA Member, as SMAS is recognised to be fulfilling the requirement set out in EA-1/17 S1 Criteria for Membership.

Who is SMAS?
San Marino Accreditation Service (SMAS) is a small accreditation body headed by top manager Denis Cecchetti and technical director Linda Sartini.
SMAS is the only National Accreditation Body in the Republic of San Marino. It has been established as a division of the Economic Development Agency – Chamber of Commerce S.p.A. (EDA-CC) through the Law no. 71 of 26 May 2004 which provides that the Chamber of Commerce performs a service of public interest. SMAS exists to facilitate the exchange of products and services and conducts the accreditation body function exclusively for certification bodies.
There are 8 Conformity Assessment Bodies in San Marino. With around 5,000 economic operators, of which around 2,900 are in corporate form, and around 21,000 employees, the industries that contribute the most to generating the Gross Domestic Product (2020) are manufacturing (33.5%), services (25.8%), public administration and related services (15.2%), and trade (13.3%). In San Marino, financial services (4.6%), construction (4.1%), transport and related services (2.1%) as well as the hotel and restaurant industry (1.3%) also contribute albeit in a minor yet significant way.

Why did SMAS become an EA Member and what are the expected benefits for San Marino?
With the establishment of San Marino Accreditation Service (SMAS), the Republic of San Marino has also formally equipped itself with its own Accreditation Body to attest the competence and impartiality of certification bodies. The launch of the National Accreditation Body of San Marino is part of the national strategy to structure the Republic of San Marino as an Official Business Gate. It is also an initiative to align the jurisdiction with international standards in view of the Association Agreement with the EU.
New and exciting opportunities could arise in the short or mid-term for the certification bodies and enterprises of San Marino. For the entire country system, it would mean a concrete step towards full international recognition, in a sector that has become strategic at all levels and from which San Marino has remained excluded until now.

What’s the next step in the evolution of SMAS?
SMAS wants to be a reference point for Conformity Assessment Bodies to have structured and precise accreditation routes.
San Marino wants to adapt to the international context in which it is geographically located. It has never approached this sector before and a lot of work will be done with a new and dynamic approach. It will be a great opportunity for SMAS.

About San Marino
San Marino is the third-smallest state (geographically) in Europe and covers a land area of 61 km² with a population of 34,892 (2023 est.). San Marino also claims to be the world’s oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian named MARINUS in A.D. 301. San Marino’s foreign policy is aligned with that of the EU, although it is not a member. Social and political trends in the republic track closely with those of its larger neighbor, Italy.
The Congress of State (Government) is the Governing body of the Republic of San Marino. It wields executive power in a collegial form. It consists of 10 Secretaries of State (Ministers) vested with specific powers, appointed by the Great and General Council from among its members.

EA has 49 Members from the European Union and the European Neighbourhood Policy. Click here to access the full Directory of EA Members, and here to access to SMAS website.