Each country should ensure access to accreditation services. These can be provided by a foreign, regional or local body, depending on the local and export conformity assessment needs. Accreditation services are usually provided by a National Accreditation Body (NAB), if it exists.
Accreditation Bodies (ABs) are not-for-profit organisations, either government-owned or under agreement with government, charged with ensuring that participating Certification Bodies in the country are subject to oversight by an authoritative body.
The primary responsibility of the NAB is to supervise the Conformity Assessment bodies and laboratories of various kinds (e.g. testing, calibration, pathology, etc.) The NAB gives formal recognition that certification bodies, inspection bodies, proficiency scheme providers and laboratory practice test facilities are competent to carry out specific tasks.
Procedure to demonstrate reliability of and trust in conformity assessment procedures, hence of the competence of conformity assessment bodies through accreditation, must be based on international standards (ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratories, ISO/IEC 17021 for management system certification bodies, ISO/IEC 17065 for product, process and services certification bodies, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection bodies, etc.)
Such accreditation has become a prerequisite for the recognition of results from Conformity Assessment service providers for compliance with standards, technical regulation and private standards at the marketplace at local, regional and international levels.
