The 38th meeting of the Laboratory Committee of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA LC)

The  38th meeting of the Laboratory Committee of the European co-operation Accreditation (EA LC), was held in Warsaw, Poland from 25 to 26 September 2019.

The specificity of the meeting was the EA LC Workshop on ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 Transition held on the first day of the meeting. It aimed to ensure an  exchange of experience in the implementation of the new edition of ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 in the transition period. Based on a survey conducted within the members of the EA LC Committee, the Management Group (EA LC MG) has drawn up a workshop program that included questions identified as the difficulties faced by the accreditation bodies during their assessment according to the new edition of ISO/IEC 17025: 2017.The questions were grouped into the following thematic areas: decision-making rule (including Declaration of conformity with specification risk-based approach, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), Management System - Option B, sampling (accreditation of sampling methods, contribution to measurement uncertainty resulting from sampling, accreditation of sampling as a stand-alone activity), Metrological traceability of measurement results, Ensuring the validity of results (including participation in PT activities), and Scope of laboratory activities. Each of these topics consisted of a set of discussion questions or situations in which ATS representatives actively participated. The  conclusion is that all accreditation bodies face similar problems pertaining to the new edition of the standard.

On the second day of the meeting, reports were presented by the management groups of the EA LC Committees, working groups (WGs), technical networks (TNs) and task force groups (TFGs) and issues raised by accreditation bodies and stakeholders were discussed. The following information was identified as significant and currently of interest for ATS:

• The EA LC  was informed that the text of the resolution for CEN / TS 15675 has been adopted and that the document entitled EA-1/06 EA multilateral agreement - Criteria for signing - Policy and procedures for development would be amended accordingly.

• It has been decided to forward the draft documents entitled EA-4/02 M Evaluation of the Uncertainty of Measurement in Calibration, EA-4/17 M and EA-4/20 G Guidance for the Assessment of Laboratories against EN ISO 15189 and 22870 for being commented on.

• The EA LC agreed on the final draft amendment  to the document entitled EA-4/23 The Assessment and Accreditation of Opinions and Interpretations using ISO/IEC 17025:2017 which will be published as the informative document.

• The EA LC has decided to organize the conference meeting to discuss the matter of method identification (issues) in the test reports. The report will be presented in the next Committee meeting

  The next EA LC meeting will be held from 24 to 26 March 2020 in Budapest, Hungary. It will be organized by NAH.

EA LC meeting