A question about accrediting against a draft version of the standard came up. The EA-CC has answered this question in 2018:
https://european-accreditation.org/sp_accordion_faqs/question-49-2-acceptable-measures-related-to-impartiality-risks-for-performing-preliminary-audits-iso-iec-17065-4-2-4/
We have the same questions for accreditation according to draft standards to the LC.
1.Can an AB accredit against a draft of the standard already circulated for public consultation (but not yet published)?
2.Can an AB accredit against a draft of the standard not yet circulated for public consultation but available as a draft within the working group?
3.Is there a difference in answer concerning level 3, level 4 or level 5 standards?
Updated March 2026:
According to TMB Resolution 2026 (25) 01, accreditation according to Level 3, 4 and 5 standards can only be delivered against a standard that has completed the formal approval process and that has been published; as a consequence it is not allowed to make reference to a draft standard in the NAB’s accreditation scope (whether it is published or not, like DIS or FDIS). For level 5 standards, a draft standard might be referenced in the scope of accreditation only as a CAB’s developed and validated method/procedure.