News

As amendments in the peer-evaluation system of EA turn challenges into a success story, an interview was based on that with Maria Papatzikou, Chair of the EA MLA Council, and Daniela Ionescu, Secretary of the EA MLA Council and manager of the peer-evaluation (PE) system.

Accreditation developing in many new areas, digitalization booming in more and more sectors of daily operations, cybersecurity issues, Artificial Intelligence (AI) -related discussions, intensive development of internet-based processes, etc. These are a few of the major changes that organizations are faced with. EA and its members, the National Accreditation Bodies (NABs), are no exception. More specifically, changes in accreditation standards, but also changes in the processes in the NABs prompted EA to revisit its practices regarding peer evaluations.

You can view it in detail HERE

Dear readers, we present to you the new, 28th electronic edition of the ATS Bulletin. The topic of this issue is the implementation of CAF (Common Assessment Framework) in the public sector. This total quality management model for self-assessment, developed by the public sector for its own needs, is used by managers and employees to recognize their capacities.

Following modern business trends and examples of good practice, ATS recognized the benefits of establishing a CAF for the promotion and improvement of its own work, using the advantages of strategic management and achieving the best possible results in its own scope of activities.

 In addition to this topic, in this issue, you can find out more about the activities of ATS in the period from the beginning of this year until today, among which are: ATS's participation in international meetings and the important role that ATS played this year, which is that it was hosted by the EA MAC Committee.

You can view it in detail HERE

 

The bulletin can be downloaded HERE

The European co-operation for accreditation (EA) published on its website the revised document EA-INF/01:2023, List of EA publications and international documents, valid from August 29, 2023.

This publication provides a list of EA documents used on a mandatory or informative basis, according to the classification given in EA-1/14 “Procedure for Development and Approval of EA Documents and the Adoption of ILAC/IAF Documents”.  It also contains a list of international documents approved by the EA as applicable EA documents.

You can download the publication HERE 

The Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) has recently published two new technical specifications from the SRPS ISO/IEC TS 17021 series, Conformity Assessment - Requirements for bodies performing verification and certification of management systems – Part 11 and Part 13.

Both technical specifications are bilingual, in Serbian and English. Part 11 includes additional requirements for the competence of personnel participating in the verification and certification process of management systems for facilities management (FM). In contrast, part 13 relates to the requirements for the competence of personnel for verification and certification of compliance management systems (CMS). They supplement the existing requirements for competence, consistency, and impartiality of bodies that perform validation and certification of all types of management systems, from the SRPS ISO/IEC 17021-1 standard published in 2015.

You can view it in detail HERE

The Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS) conducted a successful study visit to the Turkish Accreditation Body (TURKAK), in Ankara, Turkey (07.08.2023), in order to achieve better cooperation between the two countries in the field of application of digital systems in the accreditation processes. This visit marked an essential step towards the improvement of accreditation and standardization in Serbia through the exchange of experiences and visions.

The Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS) conducted a successful study visit to the Turkish Accreditation The meetings were attended by the Director of the Accreditation Body of Serbia, Dragan Pušara, M.Sc. and the Secretary General of TURKAK, Mrs. Banu Müderrisoğlu.

You can view it in detail: HERE

ILAC and its accreditation body members invest significant effort and resources to maintain the integrity and consistency of the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), also known as the ILAC Arrangement, through a peer evaluation process. This report sets out the detailed activities that regulators, specifiers, and businesses can have confidence in the Arrangement.

ILAC MRA Annual Report can be downloaded HERE

ILAC is the international authority on laboratory, inspection body, reference material producer, proficiency testing provider and biobank accreditation, with a membership consisting of accreditation bodies, regional cooperation bodies and stakeholder organizations throughout the world.

You can view it in detail HERE

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) within the technical committee TC 323 – Circular Economy is developing six new international standards in the field of circular economy. Three standards are in the 40.60 development phase in July of this year, which ended the public discussion phase:

• ISO/DIS 59004 – Terminology, Principles, and Guidance for Implementation
• ISO/DIS 59010 – Guidance on the transition of business models and value networks and
• ISO/DIS 59020 – Measuring and assessing circularity.

You can view it detail: HERE

European co-operation for accreditation (EA) organized a training related to the new version of the standard ISO 15189:2022 Medical laboratories — Requirements for quality and competence, which was held between 6-7 June 2023 (1st session) and 8-9 June 2023 (2nd session) in Paris, France. 

54 participants from 23 National Accreditation Bodies (NABs) participated in the training and there was a representative from ATS. The training intended to focus on the relevant changes of the new standard ISO 15189:2022 in relation to the previous version of the standard ISO 15189:2012

You can view it in detail HERE

On 28.02.2023, the Management Board of the Accreditation Body of Serbia adopted the Annual Report of the Accreditation Body of Serbia for 2022.

In the Annual Report of the Accreditation Body of Serbia for the year 2022, information and data on the activities of ATS in the past year, the achieved results, and the goals for the next period are given.

You can view it in detail HERE

Notification for accredited conformity assessment bodies authorized to certify standards included in the Rulebook on measuring instruments (‘’Official Gazette of the RS “, No. 3/18)

The provision of Article 26, paragraph 5 of the Rulebook on measuring instruments (‘’Official Gazette of the RS’’, No. 3/18) prescribes that certifies of approval of the type of measuring instruments issued before the date of entry into force of that Rulebook, and based on the regulations from Article 18 of the Rulebook on measuring instruments (‘’Official Gazette of the RS’’, No. 63/13 and 95/16) are valid until the expiration of the period from which they were issued, and at the latest until 01.01.2024.

Bearing in mind that in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Metrology (‘’Official Gazette of the RS’’, No. 15/16) and the provision of the Rulebook on the method and conditions of certification of measuring instruments (‘’Official Gazette of the RS’’, No. 7/18), the first verification of a measuring instrument is carried out in accordance with the certificate of type approval of the measuring instrument, starting from 02.01.2024, it will not be possible to carry out the first verification of a measuring instrument for which the validity period of the type approval certificate has expired, including situations when the request for the first verification has been submitted before 01.01.2024, to which we particularly point out so that the authorized bodies can coordinate their actions in a timely manner and adequately inform their users.

You can view it in detail HERE

The Management Board (MB) of the Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS), at its 12th session held on 07.04.2023, passed a Decision proposing to the Government of the Republic of Serbia the appointment of Dragan Pušara as Director of ATS following the previously announced public competition for the selection and appointment of the Director of ATS, which was announced on 15.03.2023 by the Decision of the MB of ATS.

Based on the above, the following Decisions were published in the Official Gazette of the RS No. 55 on 07.07.2023, which have legal effect from that date:

• Decision of the Government of the RS 24 No. 119-5808/2023 from 07.06.2023 on the dismissal of Dragan Pušara from the position of Acting Director of ATS and
•  Decision of the Government of the RS 24 No. 119-5809/2023 from 07.06.2023 on the appointment of Dragan Pušara as director of ATS for a term of five years.

The Accreditation Body of Serbia publishes the updated edition of the Application for accreditation form, ATS-PR11-O01, edition 8/1 and updated documents in the field of accreditation of certification bodies for the certification of organic products.

• the updated edition of the Application for accreditation form, ATS-PR11-O01, can be downloaded HERE;
• instructions for accreditation of certification bodies for product certification in the field of organic production, ATS-UP26, edition 4/0, can be downloaded HERE;
• you can download the checklist for evaluating certification bodies for product certification in the field of organic production (control organizations that perform inspection and certification tasks in organic production) according to SRPS EN ISO/IEC 17065:2016, ATS-UP26-O02, edition 2/0 HERE.

The application of these documents begins on the day of publication.

This year's session of the General Assembly of the European Committee for Standardization, CEN and CENELEC was held from June 19th to 22nd, 2023 in Belgrade. This meeting was hosted for the first time by the Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS). 

During this period of the General Assembly session, numerous meetings were held: meetings of the administrative boards of these organizations, then joint and individual assemblies of CEN (59th) and CENELEC (65th), as well as several bilateral talks. More than 200 representatives of national standardization bodies from 34 countries around the world participated in the meetings, where further directions for the development of European standardization were decided.

You can view it in detail: HERE

European co-operation for accreditation (EA) at its website published the new issue of document EA-INF/17, Register of EA resolutions for use by EA, National Accreditation Bodies, and EA evaluators which shall come into effect from 14th June 2023.

This document contains a register of all relevant EA resolutions that have not been transferred to EA documents but are still valid for conformity assessment bodies, national accreditation bodies, and assessors.

According to the rules of this document, EA members are obliged to abide by the decisions of the General Assembly and the Multilateral Agreement Council (MAC). Most of the decisions taken by the General Assembly in the form of EA resolutions are implemented in the EA documents, but some of them are only mentioned in the resolutions.

The EA has added new resolutions to the document, EA-INF/17 so that it now contains all EA resolutions.

You can view it in detail: HERE

European co-operation for accreditation - EA on June 6, 2023, published on its website the Annual Report on the work of the European co-operation for accreditation for the year 2022.

This EA Report, which summarizes all the activities of its members, recognized stakeholders, and the EA Secretariat during 2022, can be viewed on the EA website, at the following link: HERE

You can view it in detail: HERE

On June 9th, the Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS) celebrated World Accreditation Day and 25 years since its foundation in the ceremonial hall of the National Bank of Serbia with the presence of the founders of accreditation in our country and the first people of the institutions of quality infrastructure. 

On this occasion, accreditation certificates were also handed over to accredited conformity assessment bodies that received or renewed accreditation in the period from January 2023 until this date.

We remind you that June 9th is the date that is celebrated all over the world as WAD, and it was established jointly by ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) and IAF (International Accreditation Forum). 

You can view it in detail: HERE

The 53rd European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) General Assembly (GA) on 24th-25th May 2023 took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

The General Assembly gathered around 90 participants from 45 National Accreditation Bodies (NABs), the EU Commission, Recognized Stakeholders, and the EA Advisory Board. Among those present was acting Director of the Accreditation Body of Serbia, Dragan Pušara, MSc. This joint meeting place was an opportunity for Dragan Pušara, M.Sc., on behalf of ATS, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Moldovan accreditation body, MOLDAC. Collaborations like this further strengthen the partnership among EA members, opening the door for mutual growth and success.

You can view it in detail: HERE

World Accreditation themes in recent years have focused on how accreditation supports global issues, and this year's theme is: ‘’Accreditation: Supporting the future of global trade”. 

This theme aims to draw attention to how accreditation and conformity assessment are adapting to advances in technology, changes in consumer behavior and environmental regulations, new trust mechanisms, and changing business models.

Brochure, created in honor of #WAD2023 in Serbian, you can download it  HERE

A Joint Statement published by the Chairs of IAF and ILAC highlights the importance of accreditation in supporting the future of global trade and is available: HERE, while a promotional video for #WAD2023 can be viewed: HERE.

You can view it in detail: HERE 
 

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) published on its website news about the new issue of standard ISO/IEC 17043:2023 Conformity assessment — General requirements for the competence of proficiency testing providers.
At the ILAC General Assembly held in November 2022, a resolution was endorsed which allows a 3-year implementation period from the publication date of this revised standard, i.e. until 31st May 2026, as shown further in the ILAC Resolution GA 26.09.

You can view it in detail: HERE

The Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS), in cooperation with the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government, as part of the European Union (EU) project for public administration reform – EU4PAR, completed all planned activities on the introduction of the CAF model (Common Assessment Framework – CAF) and started with its implementation in order to improve the quality management process and modernize work process. 

CAF, as a modern model for business improvement, significantly helped us to recognize our strengths and potential for improvement and to look at broader requirements, not only in the field of accreditation but also in the field of social responsibility and the development of partnership relations both with stakeholders and with the broader social community.

You can view it in detail HERE

European co-operation for accreditation (EA) at its website, https://european-accreditation.org, published EA MLA Report for 2022 on 10th May, 2023 

The EA MLA Report provides information on the activities of the Multilateral Agreement Council (EA MAC Committee) which is responsible for the effective and impartial management and monitoring of peer evaluation and which makes decisions related to the achievement of the status of a signatory to a multilateral (EA MLA) or bilateral agreement (EA BLA) on the equivalence of the accreditation system at the level of the EA or the European Union (EU). The report provides an overview of the key activities implemented in the previous year and the decisions made concerning signatories.

You can view it in detail: HERE

European co-operation for accreditation (EA) published on its website decisions that were made at the 48th EA MAC MEETING.

We remind you, that the Council’s meeting was held in Belgrade from 26-27 April 2023, where 61 participants from 43 National Accreditation Bodies and the representative of the EA Advisory Board participated.

You can view it in detail: HERE

The Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS) hosted the 48th Committee for Multilateral Agreements of the European co-operation for Accreditation - EA MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT COUNCIL (MAC) MEETING. The meetings of the Committee were held on 26.04. and 27.04.2023 in the Nikola Tesla Hall's pleasant working atmosphere in the METROPOL PALACE hotel in Belgrade. This year's meeting of the Committee brought together 60 representatives, members of EA, from over 40 countries, and representatives of the MAC Management Group.

ATS Acting Director, M.Sc. Dragan Pušara opened this gathering, emphasizing the exceptional importance and role of the EA MAC Committee.

You can view it in detail HERE