ILAC
The International Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation
IAF
The International Accreditation Forum
Latest developments
Merih Malmqvist Nilsson, ILAC Vice Chair
Global Vision
• A single worldwide programme of conformity assessment which
reduces risk for business, regulators and the consumer, by
ensuring that accredited services can be relied upon.
• Government and Regulators relying on the IAF and ILAC
Arrangements to further develop or enhance trade agreements.
• To support the freedom of world trade by eliminating technical
barriers, realising the free-trade goal of ‘tested, inspected or
certified once and accepted everywhere' .
ILAC Membership – 30 August 2011
• 72 Full Members (Signatories to the ILAC Arrangement)
representing 59 economies;
• 20 Associates representing 32 economies;
• 19 Affiliates representing 22 economies;
• 5 Regional Cooperation Bodies
• 26 Stakeholders
• 31 July 2011 - 50 ILAC Full Members
• Signatories represent about 95% of Global GDP
• Almost 40,000 accredited laboratories
• About 6,700 accredited inspection bodies
• 77% of regulators accept results from accredited organisations
(2010)
• Inspection MRA to be launched in 2012
Coverage of the ILAC MRA
ILAC MRA Signatories
ILAC Associate Members
ILAC Affiliate Members
(Apr 2011)
Status of the IAF MLA
There are 49 IAF MLA Signatories, representing 47 economies.
•Management Systems: 47 Accreditation Bodies and EA, PAC &
IAAC
• ISO 9001 QMS: 47 Accreditation Bodies and EA, PAC & IAAC
• ISO 14001 EMS: 41 Accreditation Bodies and EA, PAC & IAAC
• ISO 22000 FSMS: in development
• ISO 27001 ISMS: in development
• Product: 38 Accreditation Bodies EA, PAC & IAAC
• Persons: In development
Coverage of the IAF MLA
IAF MLA Signatories
IAF Members
(Apr 2011)
Regional Cooperation Bodies
• The IAF and ILAC Arrangements are structured to build on
existing and developing regional MLAs/MRAs established
around the world.
European
Cooperation
for
Accreditation
(EA)
Pacific
Accreditation
Cooperation
(PAC)
Inter-American
Accreditation
Cooperation
(IAAC)
Asia Pacific
Laboratory
Accreditation
Cooperation
(APLAC)
• The IAF MLA recognises EA, PAC, IAAC
• The ILAC MRA recognises EA, APLAC, IAAC
Southern African
Development
Community
Accreditation
(SADCA)
The basis for the recognition arrangements
(MRA-MLA)
• International standards (ISO/IEC 17000 series)
–
–
–
–
–
–
ISO/IEC 17011 – accreditation bodies
ISO/IEC 17020 – inspection bodies
ISO/IEC 17025 – laboratories
ISO/IEC 17021 – certification bodies for management systems
ISO/IEC 17065 – certification bodies for products and services
ISO/IEC 17024 – certification bodies for persons
• Harmonised implementation documents
• Peer evaluation system with trained evaluators
• Decision making process
The Benefits
For Government
and Regulators
• Flexible alternative to
Legislation
For Business
• Greater acceptance of
• Public confidence in goods
products and services
and services, despite
opening up market access
complex global
• Avoid costs associated with
• Facilitator of trade
multiple testing,
• An efficient monitoring
inspections or
tool
For Consumers
certifications
• Informed procurement
selection
marketplace
• Minimises product failures
or recalls
ILAC and OIML
•
•
•
•
•
•
Memorandum of understanding
Joint work programme
Joint assessment procedure
Training activities
Common communication to the market
Review of common documents such as OIML
D10 / ILAC G24
IAF and OIML
• Memorandum of understanding
• Identified items for a joint work programme
– A survey among IAF members;
– Review of a draft OIML Basic Publication (certification system for
prepackages);
– Contribution to the OIML seminar on conformity to type (CTT).
Common denominators for
ILAC – IAF and OIML
• Level playing field for all parties: producers and
conformity assessment bodies
• Promotion of free trade – eliminating technical
barriers to trade
• Conformity assessment
• Traceability of measurements
• Minimising costs and work load for the actors on the
market
• Achieving market confidence
Accreditation in the Market
Peer
Evaluation
ACCREDITATION
International Standards
CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT
BODIES
Standards / regulatory
requirements / scheme criteria
PRODUCT & SERVICE PROVIDERS
CONFIDENCE
GOVERNMENT
TRUST
CONSUMERS
ASSURANCE
PURCHASERS
Recognition
Who recognizes whom?
• It is the users of the conformity assessment results who have the
prerogative to recognize (or not) certificates from different parts of
the world
• It is our work to make sure that happens
What is the catch?
• The MLA is voluntary
• Users of reports/certificates do not have to accept the MLA
• There are dishonest players on the market
• It is difficult to detect misuse - It can be difficult to take legal action
• In other words, we cannot relax
Developing countries perspective
- Work load: limited personnel, too many different
systems, many aid projects
- Difficulties in meeting the import requirements of
industrialised countries
- Many different systems being imposed on them
- Level playing field
Let us consolidate our visions and
processes and use the available systems as
much as possible
Summary
• IAF and ILAC are committed to developing a harmonised global
approach for accreditation practices to ensure consistency of
approach.
• Both organisations maintain the Arrangements to ensure equal
reliability of accredited services.
• Growing acceptance by regulators and businesses is removing
technical barriers to trade, and avoiding the need for duplicate
certifications, testing or inspections.
• IAF and ILAC support developing economies to establish an
accreditation infrastructure.
Contact Details