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38th meeting of the General Assembly of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA GA)

International activities

38th meeting of the General Assembly of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA GA) was held in the period between 23rd and 24th November 2016 in Boras, Sweden and hosted by the Sweden's national accreditation body (SWEDAC).

During this meeting of the General Assembly the most important resolutions that were adopted are as follows:

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 04  

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Executive Committee, approves the EA Strategy 2025 (document EAGA(16)90).Furthermore, the General Assembly mandates the Executive Committee to finalize the draft implementation plan for the EA Strategy 2025 and to monitor its implementation.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 05

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Executive Committee, approves the revised EA Work Programme for 2017 (Document EAGA(16)77.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 06

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the MLA Council, agrees that the Executive Committee starts a new work item to revise EA-1/17: EA Rules of Procedure in order to introduce the voting rules to be used in the MLA Council, taking into account for revision the rationale set out in Document EAGA(16)80.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 13

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation of the  Executive Committee, agrees that the EA HHC starts a new work item to EA-1/06: EA Multilateral Agreement. Criteria for signing. Policy and procedures for development (so that the proposed schemes for multi-laboratory comparisons will no longer be used within the process of the peer assessment process)  according to the rationale for revision set out in EAGA(16)86.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 07

The General Assembly endorses the recommendation made by the Executive Committee that ARMNAB, the national accreditation body of Armenia, becomes an Associate Member of EA with effect from 24 November 2016.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 15

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Inspection Committee, adopts: ILAC P15:07/2016 Application of ISO/IEC 17020:2012 for the Accreditation of Inspection Bodies as a mandatory document for all EA members, ILAC R4:10/2016 Use of the ILAC Logo and Tagline as a mandatory document for EA members being an ILAC member.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 16

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Executive Committee, agrees to cancel EA Resolution 2016 (37) 39 to be superseded by this resolution as follows:The General Assembly adopts IAF MD 20:2016 - Generic Competence for AB Assessors: Application to ISO/IEC 17011 as a mandatory document for all EA members in the certification (management systems, products and persons) and verification areas only. It is not applicable for testing, calibration and inspection.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 17

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Certification Committee, endorses the mandatory application of:

  • ISO/IEC TS 17021-5:2014 -- Conformity assessment -- Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems -- Part 5: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of asset management systems
  • ISO/IEC TS 17021-6:2014 -- Conformity assessment -- Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems -- Part 6: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of business continuity management systems
  • ISO/IEC TS 17021-7:2014 -- Conformity assessment -- Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems -- Part 7: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of road traffic safety management systems
  • ISO 50003:2014 Energy management systems -- Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of energy management systems

as Level 4 standards for all EA Members.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 18

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Certification Committee, agrees that the EA CC starts a new work item to revise EA-6/04: EA Guidelines on the Accreditation of Certification of Primary Sector Products by Means of Sampling of Sites, according to the rationale set out in Document EAGA(16)108.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 20

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Laboratory Committee, agrees that the EA LC starts a new work item to elaborate an Informative Document on Joint EA - EDQM Communication regarding cooperation when carrying out joint audits/assessments in Official Medicines Control Laboratories, according to the rationale set out in Document EAGA(16)89.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 19

The General Assembly, acting upon recommendation from the Laboratory Committee, agrees that the EA LC starts a new work item to review/revise EA-2/14: Procedure for Regional Calibration ILCs in Support of the EA MLA, according to the rationale set out in Document EAGA(16)88.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 21

The General Assembly approves the following IAF resolutions adopted at the 20th IAF General Assembly in New Delhi, India in November 2016, as applicable to EA and its members:

-IAF Resolution 2016-13 –Accreditation Scoping for Energy Management Systems (EnMS) - The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, resolved to endorse Table 2 Technical Areas from ISO 50003:2014 Energy management systems -- Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of energy management systems as a Normative reference for the accreditation scope and grouping of sectors for witnessing of energy management systems.

-IAF Resolution 2016-14 –Transitional Arrangement for the Revision of ISO/IEC TS 17021-2:2012 - The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, resolved that the transition period for the next revision of ISO/IEC TS 17021-2:2012 Conformity assessment -- Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems -- Part 2: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of environmental management systems, will be two years from the date of publication of the revised standard.

-IAF Resolution 2016-15 –Migration Arrangement for ISO 45001 - The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, resolved that the period for migrating accredited certifications from OHSAS 18001:2007 to ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems -- Requirements with guidance for use will be three years from the date of publication of ISO 45001.

-IAF Resolution 2016-16 –Endorsement of ISO 45001:201X as an IAF normative document - The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, resolved to endorse the soon to be published ISO 45001:201X as a normative document.

-IAF Resolution 2016-17 –Accredited MS Certification Document - Further to Resolution 2015-14, The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, resolved that in order for a management system certification document to be considered accredited, it must display the accreditation symbol, and/or, reference the accreditation status of the CB including the identification of the AB.

The General Assembly further agreed that management systems certification bodies:

  1. must transition certification documentation to include the accreditation symbol, and/or, reference the accreditation status of the CB including the identification of the AB, at the time of recertification decision; no later than 06 November 2019;
  2. when granted initial accreditation (for a standard or scope), as of 06 November 2016, the CB must transition (re-issue) previous unaccredited certification documents, within one year after the accreditation decision;
  3. must apply this resolution to all management system standards.

Note: If there is an exception to the above, the client must justify the exception to the CB and AB, and if accepted by both the CB and AB, the certification is still considered accredited.

-IAF Resolution 2016-18 –Extension of IAF MD19 Application Date - The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, resolved that the application date of IAF MD 19: IAF Mandatory Document For The Audit and Certification of a Management System operated by a Multi-Site Organization (where application of site sampling is not appropriate) be extended one year to 31 March 2018.

-IAF Resolution 2016-24 –  General Policy for MLA Scope Extensions under Management System Certification - In Accordance with the amended requirements as provided in IAF ML4:2016 3.1.5 and 3.1.6, the General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the MLA Committee, resolved that the following principle be applied for the extension to all Sub-Scopes of Management System Certification as follows:

For Individual ABs:

For a signatory to the IAF MLA with a Main Scope of ISO/IEC 17021(-1)

  • to provide a self-declaration, that the Sub-Scope has been introduced and relevant requirements as defined by IAF have been met (IAF ML4:2016, 3.1.5.ii, 3.1.6.i)

For a signatory to the IAF MLA but not for the Main Scope of ISO/IEC 17021(-1)

•   full evaluation in accordance with IAF/ILAC A2 (IAF ML4:2016, 3.1.5.i)

For Regional Accreditation Groups:

For a signatory to the IAF MLA with a Main Scope of ISO/IEC 17021(-1)

  • at least 1 MLA signatory
  • document review

For a signatory to the IAF MLA but not for a Main Scope of ISO/IEC 17021-1

• full evaluation in accordance with IAF/ILAC A1

This Resolution supersedes the Note 2 point 3.1.5 of IAF ML4:2016.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 22

The EA General Assembly mandates the Executive Committee to take the appropriate actions for the implementation of the IAF Resolutions 2016-17 and 2016-24.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 23

 

The General Assembly approves the following ILAC resolutions adopted at the 20th ILAC General Assembly in New Delhi, India in November 2016, as applicable to EA and its members:

ILAC Resolution GA 20.14

As a result of the publication of ISO 17034 in November 2016, replacing ISO Guide 34:2009, the General Assembly endorses the recommendation from the AIC, that accreditation of reference material producers be conducted in accordance with ISO 17034 and that an implementation period of 3 years be adopted.

ILAC Resolution GA 20.15

As the revised version of ISO/IEC 17025 is scheduled for publication in 2017, the General Assembly endorses the recommendation of the AIC that a transition period of 3 years from the date of publication be adopted.

At the end of the transition period, accreditation of a laboratory to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 will not be recognised under the ILAC Arrangement.

  • EA Resolution 2016 (38) 24

The General Assembly approves the following resolution adopted at the 16th IAF-ILAC Joint General Assembly in New Delhi, India in November 2016, as applicable to EA and its members:

JGA Delhi Resolution 1 - Transition to ISO/IEC 17011:2017

The Joint General Assembly endorses the recommendation of the Joint Executive Committee, that the transition period for the revised ISO/IEC 17011:2004 Conformity assessment — General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies due for publication in August 2017 will be three years from the date of publication of the revised standard.

http://www.european-accreditation.org/approved-resolutions

http://www.european-accreditation.org/information/highlights-of-the-38th-ea-general-assembly