Information to certification bodies certifying quality management systems

The new version of ISO 9001:2008 was published in November 2008. In the same month the Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) published the Serbian version - SRPS ISO 9001:2008 that is identical to ISO 9001:2008.

In order to ensure an easier transition of accredited certification in accordance with ISO 9001:2008, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) issued a joint communiqué containing THE rules for the transition to the new version of the standard.

This joint communiqué emphasised that the new version of ISO 9001:2008, when compared to the previous one (ISO 9001:2001), does not contain new requirements, but only clarifications of the existing ones on the basis of long-lasting practice and changes with the aim of improving the consistency with ISO 14001:2004.

Rules for the transition to ISO 9001:2008 and/or SRPS ISO 9001:2008 comprise the following:

- Certificates on Management System Conformity in Accordance with ISO 9001:2008 and/or SRPS ISO 9001:2008 will be issued by accredited certification bodies after 15th November 2008 as a result of initial assessment, surveillance visit or reassessment of certified bodies performed in line with ISO 9001:2008 and/or SRPS ISO 9001:2008,
- After 15th November 2009, i.e. twelve months following the publication of ISO 9001:2008, all new certificates must be issued in keeping with the new version of the standard, i.e. in keeping with SRPS ISO 9001:2008,
- After 15th November 2010, i.e. twenty four months following the publication of ISO 9001:2008, certificates issued in keeping with ISO 9001:2001 and/or SRPS ISO 9001:2001 will no longer be valid.

The entire text of this joint communiqué can be found on the websites of these two organisations www.iso.org and www.iaf.nu.

The Accreditation Board of Serbia (ATS), i.e. the ATS assessment team will check the following during assessment visits (initial assessment, surveillance assessment or reassessment):

- whether and in what way certification body certifying quality management system informed all the clients about the changes and transition to the certification as per the new version of SRPS ISO 9001:2008 (requirements of SRPS ISO/IEC 17021:2007, item 8.6.2),
- whether a certification body made necessary adjustments of its management system documents,
- whether a certification body performed training of its auditors,
- whether a certification body issues certificates in accordance with the said rules.