News

The 54th European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) General Assembly (GA) on 22nd and 23rd November 2023 took place in Dublin, Ireland.

The General Assembly gathered around 84 participants from 41 National Accreditation Bodies (NABs), 8 Recognized Stakeholders, and the EA Advisory Board, there were also representatives of ATS who attended the adoption of numerous resolutions, C level meetings as well as the presentation of the new communication plan.

Here are some of the highlights from this assembly:

EA Communication Network

EA Members approved the terms of Reference for the EA Communications Network. The Communication Network will be a place for communications professionals to share experiences and good practices, learn new tools, and submit to peers any questions related to communications and marketing.
All EA Members and recognized Stakeholders are welcome to participate in the new Communication Network.

You can view it in detail HERE

This week, the ILAC and IAF General Assembly was held in Montreal, Canada. The event marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of IAF. It involved discussions about the merger of these two organizations into a single international entity that would cover all fields of accreditation. In addition to adopting numerous resolutions, representatives from EA, including ATS, deliberated on the organization's structure, the roles and positions of stakeholders, and the advantages and potential drawbacks of such a unified organization.

Final adjustments are still pending, and in 2024, the world will witness the establishment of a new accreditation organization named GLOBAC. 

For more information on the IAF anniversary, you can read it HERE.

Over the past three decades, IAF has worked diligently to facilitate trade, enable sustainable development, protect consumers and the environment, and support industry, government, and regulators. This year IAF celebrates its 30th anniversary, reflecting on the achievements, leadership, members, and committees that have shaped IAF into the organization it is today.

IAF was established with a mission: to support the harmonization of accreditation requirements, programs, and procedures worldwide; establish multilateral recognition arrangements (MLAs) among members to confirm the consistent application of those requirements; support emerging accreditation bodies; and promote its MLAs globally. These efforts led to a significant increase in the worldwide acceptance of accredited conformity assessment. Over the years, IAF has maintained these key objectives as it evolved, establishing new committees as required, expanding the MLA scopes and sub-scopes to additional public and private sector schemes, developing strong connections with partner and other international organizations and stakeholders, and launching IAF CertSearch.

You can view it in detail HERE

Yesterday, a contract was signed with domain and IT experts on the premises of ATS, marking the completion of all preparatory activities for the launch of the pilot project on the Standardization and Harmonization of the scope of accreditation at ATS, with the support of GIZ within the project "Support for Regional Economic Integration," with the assistance of the EU and the Government of Germany.

The work on the standardized terminology of the scope of accreditation is intended to provide a foundation for the digitalization of accreditation applications and the entire accreditation process. This represents one of the primary objectives of ATS in the upcoming period.

Considering the regional nature of the project, adopting a unified nomenclature at this broader level shall contribute to even better cooperation among accreditation bodies. In contrast, accredited bodies shall have better recognition at the regional level.

We thank GIZ for their support and wish all project participants happy and successful work.

Standards are crucial in ensuring the quality, reliability, and compliance of products and services. They define the minimum requirements for quality and competence, ensuring consistency and reliability in the operations of accredited conformity assessment bodies. Standards also enable compliance with international practices and facilitate the exchange of products and services at a global level. As such, standards are essential for ensuring quality, integrity, and safety in various sectors, contributing to increased consumer and trade partner trust.

The Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) signed the UNECE declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards on February 1, 2023, confirming its commitment to the development of standards, guidelines, and practices that align with the principles of gender equality.

You can view it in detail HERE

During the official session of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Council at the University of Belgrade, on the occasion of Faculty's Day, ATS was honored with a plaque in recognition of its philanthropy, contribution to the development of the faculty, and successful collaboration. The director of ATS, MSc Dragan Pushara, had the honor and pleasure of receiving this significant award for the institution he leads.

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has always been attentive to the needs of the industry, which is its natural environment – educational, scientific, and business. Collaboration with the industry and other institutions remains one of the top priorities of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, as highlighted during this celebratory session. In honor of the Faculty's Day, plaques and acknowledgments were presented to individuals and companies who, through their philanthropy, trust, and cooperation on projects in the past year, contributed the most to the development and promotion of the faculty.

You can read more HERE

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) has recently published a brochure on its website as part of promotional material, titled "Accreditation: A global tool to support Public Policy." 

This document provides a concise overview of the role of accreditation as a global tool to support public policy. It is intended for policymakers, regulators, and public sector officials to explain why and how these tools can be applied in their respective areas of operation.

Standards, accreditation, and conformity assessment are market tools that policymakers can use to achieve better regulations, environmental protection, public safety, fraud prevention, fair markets, and public trust.

Furthermore, this brochure answers the following questions: What is the connection between standards and accreditation? How can accreditation support public policy? What benefits does accreditation offer?

You can view the brochure HERE

EU law requires all large companies and medium-sized companies (except listed micro-enterprises) to disclose what they see as the risks and opportunities arising from social and environmental issues and the impact of their activities on people and the environment.

The EU recognizes that companies' transparency and reporting on environmental, social, human rights, and similar issues are key to sustainable development.

This helps investors, civil society organizations, consumers, and other stakeholders to evaluate the sustainability performance of companies, as part of the European Green Deal. 

The European Green Deal is the EU’s sustainable development strategy for the 21st century. The central issue addressed by this strategy is the environment and climate change – how to develop the EU economy without accelerating climate change. The European Commission defines this strategy as ‘’a new growth strategy with the aim of transforming the EU into a fair and wealthy society, with a modern and competitive economy that uses resources efficiently, with net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and economic growth which is separated from resources exploitation”.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) entered into force on the 5th of January 2023. This new EU legislation aims to accentuate the growing awareness of environmental, social, and governance factors (ESG factors). One means is moving the publication of information related to firms’ social and environmental responsibility from virtually voluntary to mandatory.

The auditing and reporting processes have been specified in the CSRD and now include the possibility of recognizing accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) as independent assurance services providers.

You can view it in detail HERE

During the previous week, in the Palace of Serbia with the support of TAIEX, training was held for the accreditation according to the standard ISO 20387:2018, Biotechnology – Biobanking – General requirements for biobanking.

A training was carried out by the experts from Italy, Ms. Elena Bravo (UNI) and Laura Lo Guzzo (ACCREDIA).

Following world trends in the field of accreditation, ATS recognized the importance of introducing this scheme in its work system and enabled experts, assessors, and employees of ATS to acquire the necessary knowledge in this innovative field.

Biobanking plays a key role in the improvement of medicine and disease research, as well as in the preservation of valuable biological material from the entire spectrum of the living world, ecosystems, and biocenosis. The increasing need for reliable samples and compliance with strict ethical and legal norms requires the timely implementation of activities in the development of this important field.

You can view it in detail HERE

European co-operation for Accreditation (EA), published on its site the revised document EA-INF/01: 2023, List of EA publications and international documents, valid from 10th October, 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.

The publication can be downloaded HERE

Representatives of ATS in the period from 4th to 5th October participated in the meetings of the EA Multilateral Agreement Council (EA MAC) which were held in Brussels, Belgium

60 participants from 41 National Accreditation Bodies (NABs) and the representative of the EA Advisory Board attended the EA MAC meeting.

The EA MAC Committee is responsible for the effective and impartial implementation and monitoring of the peer evaluation process. The competence of the Committee is, among other things, to make decisions regarding the status of signatories of EA multilateral agreements (EA MLA) in relation to the peer evaluation, as well as to report to the EA General Assembly on all decisions made. The chairperson of this Committee is Maria Papatzikou from the Hellenic Accreditation Body (ESYD).

The Committee for Multilateral Agreements also deals with adopting policies and operational procedures within the EA regarding peer evaluation and the management, selection, and training of future peer evaluators.

You can view it in detail HERE

During the previous week, in the Palace of Serbia, with the help of TAIEX training was held for the accreditation of reference materials according to the standard ISO 17034:2016.

The training was held by colleagues from Greece: Dr. Ioannis Sitaras, director of the department for the accreditation laboratories in the Hellenic Accreditation System (ESYD), and Dr. Harris Alexopoulos, manager of the National Laboratory for Food Testing.

You can view it in detail HERE

In the previous period, representatives of ATS participated in the work of committees of the European co-operation for accreditation (EA).

Active participation in the meetings of these committees is extremely important for raising the quality of work in the field of accreditation both in our country and in the region. This also enables the exchange of knowledge and experience with colleagues from other accreditation bodies as well as further improvement of the accreditation process in accordance with the latest standards and best practices in Europe.

You can view it in detail HERE

European co-operation for Accreditation (EA), published on its site the revised document EA-INF/05: Directory of European legislations and EU schemes with provisions to accreditation and/or conformity assessment. 

This publication has been established to support National Accreditation Bodies by providing a comprehensive directory of EU legislations and schemes in relation to accreditation and conformity assessment according to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008.

The aim of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 is to ensure that products benefiting from the free movement of goods within the Community fulfill requirements providing a high level of protection of public interest such as health and safety in general, health and safety at the workplace, protection of consumers, protection of the environment and security while ensuring that the free movement of products is not restricted to any extent greater than that which is allowed under Community harmonization legislation or any other relevant Community rules.

You can view it in details HERE

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 Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the training "TAIEX Expert Mission on ISO/IEC 17029 and ISO/IEC 14065" , which was held from September 4 to 8, 2023, at the premises of the Ministry of Economy, Resavska 24 in Belgrade.

The training was attended by representatives of ATS, as well as technical experts in the field of greenhouse gases (GHG). Experts in front of TAIEX gave the training: Casper van Erp and Harmke Immink, who are widely recognized experts in the field of accreditation in the context of ISO/IEC 17029 and ISO/IEC 14065 standards.

You can view it in detail 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