Organisation of accreditation in the EU
Requirements for accreditation are set in Regulation 765/2008. The Regulation promotes a uniformly rigorous approach to accreditation across EU countries. This consensus is normally reflected in a CERTIF document on a specific topic. As a result, an accreditation certificate is enough to demonstrate the technical capacity of a conformity assessment body.
The main principles of accreditation are:
- one accreditation body per EU country (it is possible however to use another country’s national accreditation body);
- accreditation is a public sector activity and a not-for-profit activity;
- there is no competition between national accreditation bodies;
- stakeholders are represented;
- accreditation is the preferred means of demonstrating technical capacity of notified bodies in the regulated area.
More info: european-accreditation.org

A notified body, in the European Union, is an entity that has been accredited by a Member State to assess whether a product to be placed on the market meets certain preordained standards. These bodies carry out tasks related to conformity assessment procedures set out in the applicable legislation, when a third party is required. The European Commission publishes a list of such notified bodies.
For further information: ec.europa.eu