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Accreditation Purpose and issues
In a context of globalization and interdependent economies, issues related to quality infrastructure, particularly the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (laboratories, certification and inspection bodies), are crucial. Indeed, accreditation is an indispensable support tool in all aspects of daily life and helps to support various public policies (health, safety, environment, trade, etc.). Conformity assessment bodies (CABs), primarily laboratories (analysis, testing, and calibration), certification and inspection bodies, etc., play a vital role in demonstrating the conformity of the object being assessed with normative and regulatory requirements. To guarantee the reliability and credibility of conformity assessment results, conformity assessment bodies must be accredited by accreditation bodies.
Accreditation determines the technical competence and integrity of bodies providing conformity assessment services such as testing, certification, inspection and calibration based on international standards.
It plays an important role in facilitating trade, particularly by helping to remove trade barriers. This is based on the assurance that the services and products traded meet the applicable specific requirements.
Consumers demand confidence in the quality of products and services (starting with health and safety) and want to live in a safe environment. Businesses need assurance that the conformity assessments (test, calibration, and inspection reports, certificates, and similar documents) on which their operations are based are trustworthy.
The legislator must be assured that conformity assessments are carried out effectively and with all the necessary expertise. In this context, it is essential to foster trust among economic actors and market regulators regarding documents issued by conformity assessment bodies (laboratories, inspection and certification bodies). These documents thus become veritable technical passports associated with a product or service.
Advantages of accreditation
The accreditation is:- Formal recognition of the competence of a nationally accredited Conformity Assessment Body to perform well-defined tasks;
- Formal recognition of the competence of a Conformity Assessment Body; International recognition of the competence of the accredited conformity assessment body (offering assurance to companies that the conformity certificates on which their activity is based are trustworthy); Accredited conformity, at the national level, to perform well-defined tasks;
- A benchmark in terms of performance;
- An asset from a marketing perspective;
- A guarantee of quality, public safety on a national and international scale (giving consumers confidence in the quality of products and services);
- Ongoing compliance with laws and regulations (through follow-up activities during the accreditation process);
- Credibility and sustainability of the industry;
- A means for the authorities, the economy and society to judge the competence of the OECs;
- A positive public image and a growing reputation;
- A process of constant improvement since it is based on national professional standards endorsed by the industry;
Strengths / Commerce
Accreditation allows you to:- Facilitating the reduction, or even the elimination, of technical barriers to trade (by improving the quality of products and services);
- Promote healthy competition and harmonize the functioning of markets;
- Create a relationship of trust between consumers, importers and exporters;
- Promote the free movement of goods or services;
- To create transparency and comparability to the market at the national and international level.
Strengths / Economy
Accreditation allows you to:- to stand out from the competition through recognition of competence;
- contribute to the competitiveness of the economy with a supply of quality goods and services;
- recognize that an organization is competent to perform a specific activity with high reliability and conformity to quality;
- create the conditions for the international recognition of evaluation reports and certificates of conformity;
- to offer organizations an opportunity to gain the trust and support of their peers.