The EA Multilateral Agreement (MLA) Council has just met for its 41th meeting in Reykjavik (Iceland) on 8-9 May 2019.

During this meeting, hosted by the Icelandic Accreditation Body (ISAC), the EA Multilateral Agreement Council (MAC) which manages the peer evaluation process and decides on MLA signatories, took the following decisions:

  • EGAC, the National Accreditation Body of Egypt, becomes an EA BLA signatory in the field of Proficiency Testing Providers, according to ISO/IEC 17043.
  • NAH, the National Accreditation Body of Hungary, complies with all relevant requirements to become an EA MLA signatory in the field of Proficiency Testing Providers, according to ISO/IEC 17043.
  • SA, the National Accreditation Body of Slovenia, complies with all relevant requirements to become an EA MLA signatory in the field of Medical Examinations, according to ISO 15189.
  • SNAS, the National Accreditation Body of Slovakia, complies with all relevant requirements to become an EA MLA signatory in the field of Proficiency Testing Providers, according to ISO/IEC 17043.
  • TURKAK, the National Accreditation Body of Turkey, becomes an EA MLA signatory in the field of GHG Validation and Verification, according to ISO 14065.

 

  • ACCREDIA, the National Accreditation Body of Italy, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Proficiency Testing Providers (ISO/IEC 17043), Certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024), Certification of products (ISO/IEC 17065), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1) and Validation and Verification (ISO 14065).
  • BELAC, the National Accreditation Body of Belgium, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Proficiency Testing Providers (ISO/IEC 17043), Certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024), Certification of products (ISO/IEC 17065), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1) and Validation and Verification (ISO 14065).
  • CAI, the National Accreditation Body of Czech Republic, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Proficiency Testing Providers (ISO/IEC 17043), Certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024), Certification of products (ISO/IEC 17065), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1) and Validation and Verification (ISO 14065).
  • ENAC, the National Accreditation Body of Spain, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Proficiency Testing Providers (ISO/IEC 17043), Certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024), Certification of products (ISO/IEC 17065), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1) and Validation and Verification (ISO 14065).
  • INAB, the National Accreditation Body of Ireland, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Certification of products (ISO/IEC 17065), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1).
  • ISRAC, the National Accreditation Body of Israel, remains an EA BLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), and Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020).
  • NAB-MALTA, the National Accreditation Body of Malta, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025) and Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020).
  • NAH, the National Accreditation Body of Hungary, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1) and Validation and Verification (ISO 14065).
  • SA, the National Accreditation Body of Slovenia, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024), Certification of products (ISO/IEC 17065), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1) and Validation and Verification (ISO 14065).
  • SNAS, the National Accreditation Body of Slovakia, remains an EA MLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), including Medical Examinations (ISO 15189), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Certification of persons (ISO/IEC 17024), Certification of products (ISO/IEC 17065), Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1) and Validation and Verification (ISO 14065).
  • TUNAC, the National Accreditation Body of Tunisia, remains an EA BLA signatory in the fields of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Testing (ISO/IEC 17025), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020) and Certification of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021-1).

Launching of the EA MLA for Reference Material Producers (EN ISO 17034)

 The Multilateral Agreement Council, taking into account the EA General Assembly Resolution 2017 (39) 19 and the decisions made during the 40th and 41st meetings of the MAC, confirms the launching of the EA MLA for the accreditation of Reference Material Producers (EN ISO 17034) with the following signatories: UKAS, RvA, ACCREDIA, CAI, ENAC and INAB.

 

Transition from ISO/IEC 17011:2004 to ISO/IEC 17011:2017

The EA MAC confirms that ACCREDIA, BELAC, CAI, ENAC, INAB, ISRAC, SNAS, TURKAK, TUNAC successfully made the transition from SO/IEC 17011:2004 to ISO/IEC 17011:2017.

The next MAC meeting will be hosted by LA, the National Accreditation Body of Lithuania, In October 2019.

 

EA Multilateral Agreement (MLA)

The EA Multilateral Agreement (EA MLA) is a signed agreement between the EA Full Members whereby the signatories recognize and accept the equivalence of the accreditation systems operated by the signing members, and also the reliability of the conformity assessment results provided by Conformity Assessment Bodies accredited by the signing members.

A Bilateral Agreement (BLA) between an EA Associate Member and EA has the same purpose and bilateral signatories to the EA MLA shall meet the same requirements as EA Full Members.

 Peer Evaluation Process

The strength of the EA MLA is maintained through a robust peer evaluation process. The main objective of the peer-evaluation activities is to evaluate the on-going compliance of the National Accreditation Bodies to the internationally agreed requirements and to ensure that regulators, stakeholders and the business community can have confidence in certificates and reports issued by Conformity Assessment Bodies under the EA MLA.

Further information about the EA Multilateral Agreement and the peer evaluation process is available on EA’s website.