If the certificate is issued under the organization’s scope of accreditation then the certificate should be recognized in those countries whose National Accreditation Bodies are signatory to the EA, IAF & ILAC multilateral agreement. Details of these agreements on “The EA MLA” page.
The mark of an EA MLA signatory on certificates and reports issued by accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies acts as a “passport to trade”. The confidence this accreditation brings eliminates the need for suppliers to be certified in each country in which they sell their products or services, and therefore provides the framework for goods and services to cross borders in Europe and throughout the world.
Five steps to check the reliability of a certificate or a report:
- Check that there is an accreditation mark on the report or certificate.
- Check that the accreditation mark is of an Accreditation Body signatory to the EA, ILAC or IAF MLA.
- Check that your supplier is accredited for the competence, the tests and the results you need.
- Check that the tests have been carried out against international standards. Alternatively, check that the standards and methods used can be accepted in the country of destination.
- In case of problems, contact the National Accreditation Body.
It is possible to ascertain whether the National Accreditation Body is a signatory for the scope by checking the directory of EA MLA signatories.
To find the Accreditation Body in the country you want to export to, visit the “Directory of EA Members and MLA Signatories” page.