EA organized 2 “TRAIN-THE-TRAINER” workshops on EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017
Two workshops have been organized by the EA Laboratory Committee, hosted by COFRAC, the French NAB, to highlight and share a common understanding of the changed requirements in the newest version of ISO/IEC 17025.
ISO/IEC 17025, the standard for calibration and testing laboratories, published on 30th November 2017, enables laboratories to demonstrate that they operate competently and generate valid results, thereby promoting confidence in their work both nationally and internationally. Used for accreditation purposes, it facilitates cooperation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results between countries, avoiding the need for further testing.
This transition harmonization training course, designed by the EA Laboratory Committee and based on needs expressed by the EA Members during previous discussions in the LC, was facilitated by Dr. Ursula Ellerbeck, Head of Department, DAKKS, the German NAB, and Trevor Thompson, Head of Operations Support, UKAS, the British NAB, & EA Laboratory Committee Vice-Chair - Member of ISO/CASCO WG44 and coordinated by Laurent Vinson, Head of Laboratory Department – COFRAC and EA Laboratory Committee Chair.
Publication of the revised ISO/IEC 17025
ISO/IEC 17025:2017 specifies requirements for the competence, consistent operation and impartiality of accreditation bodies assessing and accrediting conformity assessment bodies.
This standard enables laboratories to demonstrate that they operate competently and generate valid results, thereby promoting confidence in their work both nationally and internationally. It facilitates cooperation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results between countries, avoiding the need for further testing.
Since February 2015, the Working Group 44 of CASCO in charge of the revision have regularly met to elaborate the new document to adapt to the changes of market conditions and technology. EA was represented by two representatives, Trevor Thomson, from UKAS, the British NAB, and Laurent Vinson, from COFRAC, the French NAB, respectively Vice Chair and Chair of the EA Laboratory Committee.
Facilitating cross border trade with reliable goods and services
The importance of accreditation of conformity assessment bodies has substantially increased over the last decades. Consumers, businesses, regulators and other organisations all over the world want to be able to trust and have confidence in the goods and services they buy and use. Consequently, there has been a growth in specified national and international requirements for products, processes and services.
The EA MLA brochure about The MLA Multilateral Agreement faciliatating cross border trade in safe and reliable goods and
services (2017). Find here.
20.10.2017.
CETA Agreement and Conformity Assessment Accreditation, a tool to enhance trade between the European Union and Canada
All countries, and all market sectors, have seen an increase in the number of technical regulations, standards, testing and certification procedures. Generally, these are introduced to meet the requirements of quality and safety that consumers, businesses, and regulators expect of goods and services.The increasing number of specified standards has seen a corresponding growth in the number of organisations providing third party evaluation of conformity and compliance with these standards.
Brochure about CETA find here - CETA Agreement and Conformity Assessment Accreditation, a tool to enhance trade between the European Union and Canada (2017)
20.10.2017.
The EA Inspection Committee met on 14-15 September 2017 in Riga (Latvia)
Photo by LATAK
The EA Inspection Committee (IC), hosted by LATAK, the Latvian national accreditation body (NAB), met from 14 to 15 September 2017 for its 34th meeting in Riga (Latvia)
(EC DG ENV), the meeting was chaired by Rolf Straub from SAS, the Swiss national accreditation body (NAB) and started with the announcement of Rolf’s re-election for an exceptional 3rd term at the last EA General Assembly and the election of Orbay Evrensevdi (TURKAK, the Turkish NAB) as EAIC Vice-Chair for the 2018-19 term.
Read more at EA web page - here
28.09.2017.