EA members attended the 57^th EA General Assembly (GA) on 21-22 May, in Istanbul, Türkiye, hosted by TURKAK, the Turkish National Accreditation Body. More than 80 participants attended the meeting. 

Workshop Strategy 2030
The 47 items of Strategy 2025 were concluded in May 2024. The main achievements are as follows:

• Implementation of the ‘One Voice’ principle to strengthen harmonization of accreditation throughout Europe;
• Establishment of a new leadership structure to strengthen strategic matters and coordinate technical activities efficiently;
• Strengthening of the EA Secretariat to provide the best service to its members and stakeholders, including the European Commission;
• Reengineering of the peer evaluation process towards an efficient and effective system that meets the expectations in the European accreditation system;
• Strengthening of the cooperation with the European Commission, EFTA and stakeholders;
• Promoting and application of accreditation in new (regulated) sectors;
• Establishment of the EA MLA mark.

Now, EA has initiated a reflection on EA’s future strategy for the coming years, taking into account the evolution of conformity assessment activities and the development of new sectors (cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, ecodesign /sustainability, and data protection).
In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, digital transformation has become a key strategic priority for any organization, also for EA and its members.

Digital transformation is not simply about integrating new technologies into an organization’s operations— it requires a holistic shift in how an organization operates, engages with stakeholders or citizens, and delivers value. This comprehensive transformation affects all facets of an organization, from its activity model to its culture.
It is of utmost importance that EA and its members are prepared for new developments in a changing environment, and the new Strategy 2030 shall tackle the challenges.
EA Members attended several meetings over the past months and a workshop to define the future strategy 2030 before the General Assembly in Istanbul.

Several proposals for the future EA’s mission, vision, and values have been elaborated and the first discussion on the strategic objectives has taken place in Istanbul. The results will be consolidated and fine-tuned by the established Working Group Strategy 2030. The target is to have a mature draft of the Strategy 2030 in November 2025 for final discussion at the General Assembly.
The date 2030 is not yet set in stone. The ambition is to conclude and agree on the strategy, including its agenda/calendar, by the end of this year.

EA MLA for Biobanking
The General Assembly approved that EA Resolution 2023 (53) 14 on the EA MLA for Biobanking comes into immediate effect, based on EN ISO 20387:2018 Biotechnology – Biobanking – General requirements for biobanking as the harmonized standard.
The MAC Secretariat team is ready to plan the peer evaluations for Biobanking, evaluators have already been trained, and the system is in place for extension of the EA MLA for the new scope.
Despite the limited market, there is a real demand for confidence in biobanks – this is a sensitive area.

Implementation of the GA Resolution on AI
Everyone is talking about and using AI today. From boardrooms to factory floors, from call centers to logistics fleets, and from governments to venture capitalists, individuals and businesses alike are using AI for a range of benefits. Whether it’s getting a digital assistant to automate tasks or virtual agents at a retailer to help solve a customer issue, AI technologies are helping people do things more efficiently.
While AI has significant potential, its implementation comes with challenges such as:

• Ethical concerns: Ensuring fairness, avoiding bias, and maintaining transparency.
• Data privacy: Protecting sensitive citizen information.
• Skill gaps: Training staff to effectively use AI tools.

What about AI in the operation of a National Accreditation Body (NAB)? Can AI help NABs in the accreditation process? How to assess Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) when they are using AI? Which requirements shall be fulfilled by vendors when they are offering AI systems or by products, services, or processes that include AI?

The General Assembly requested the Executive Board to propose the best structure for EA to discuss and collaborate on topics concerning the use of Artificial Intelligence by National Accreditation Bodies, and the formal structure entitled to define and decide on the harmonized approach for EA member NABs accrediting Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) using Artificial Intelligence.

AI is high on the EA agenda and work plan. Further to the GA request, the Executive Board elaborated on several proposals for addressing AI-related issues and challenges at the EA NAB level. In Istanbul, the GA decided, that the first activity is to establish workshops on AI technology, tools, challenges, and benefits for the NAB to incorporate into their operations. At the first workshop AI-recognized experts will present suitable AI tools and provide practical examples of AI applications by EA members. The workshop shall take place before the end of 2025.

Another aspect is the accreditation of CABs using AI in their activities. For this purpose a specific Working Group AI will be established under the Horizontal Harmonization Committee. which shall inquire further into the subject.
EA Stakeholder organisations are also moving forward and taking action to discuss the impact and consequences of using AI in Conformity Assessment activities. EA welcomed their offer to provide support regarding AI.

ILAC/IAF New Organisation
The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) initiated steps to merge into a unified organization during their annual meetings in October 2024.

This organization called Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated has been established and registered in New Zealand. The target date for this organisation to become operational and to take over the roles of IAF and ILAC is January 2026.
By the end of September 2025, membership applications from EA and its members shall be submitted to the new international organisation. In Istanbul, the GA expressed concerns about several legal aspects related to the new organisation. Before confirming its willingness to apply, EA decided to have legal advice. The result of the consultation will then be tabled on the agenda for an extraordinary GA meeting in the first half of September.

Update EA MLA Mark
The General Assembly approved that the EA MLA mark can be used from 1 September 2025 in countries where the mark is registered. Requests for use shall be submitted to the Secretariat.
The EA MLA mark is registered as a collective mark of the EU with EU Intellectual Property Office and at the international level with WIPO. 42 out of 44 countries of the MLA signatories have accepted to register the mark.  We hope that the last 2 national offices will have given a positive response to EA’s application by the end of the year.
After publication of the rules for use of the mark, a dedicated webpage will be opened to explain what the mark means on a report or certificate, and how it must be used by the NABs and CABs.

Collaboration between EA and the European Commission
The GA again highlighted how close the relation is between EA and the EC, and the amount of support EA is giving to the EC to ensure that regulatory texts are fully compatible with accreditation and “ready-for-use” on the market for the benefit of industry, regulators, but also citizens and consumers. To further reinforce its support and taking into account the difficulty and complexity of allocating the relevant human and expert resources to this, the GA agreed to open a new position in the Secretariat for a new Technical Manager. The recruitment process should start soon for the position to be fulfilled beginning of 2026.

Farewell from Rolf Straub
A warm tribute was paid to Rolf Straub (SAS, the Swiss NAB), an EA key figure, involved as Inspection Committee Chair, WG Health Care Convenor, MAC Management Group member and team leader for many years. Members will undoubtedly remember Rolf’s reports for the smart and balanced combination of information and humour in the presentation delivered to the membership. On behalf of EA, the President thanked Rolf for his support and the work achieved over the years.

The next General Assembly will be hosted by AA, the Austrian NAB, in Vienna, Austria, on 19-20 November 2025.

Click here to read the full list of resolutions.