Non-accredited Certification
BIS is aware that some Certification Bodies and Certification Body representative associations are concerned at the increase in the number of UK organisations offering non-accredited certification.
BIS would like to draw the attention of all UK organisations and companies to BIS policy document Conformity-assessment-accreditation-policy (PDF) (PDF, 180 Kb) on Accreditation and Conformity Assessment, and specifically to section 3.4 that reads:
“ 3.4 Application of the accreditation principles.
In applying these principles, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills:
- recommends Conformity Assessment Bodies to be accredited by the National Accreditation Body.
- recommends UK businesses, Government and local authorities requiring third party conformity assessment services to source such services, where they exist, from conformity assessment bodies accredited by a National Accreditation Body.”
BIS has further advised certification representative organisations in the UK:
“Accreditation” within the meaning of the Regulation can only be obtained (in the UK) from United Kingdom Accreditation Service by virtue of the Regulation.
Any organisation therefore that is suggesting it is accredited in the sense of the Regulation when they are not is likely to be guilty of an offence under the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 (Statutory Instrument 2008/1276).
Certification Bodies or representative organisations should refer these cases to trading standards or the Office of Fair Trading in the first instance.
