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Conformity assessment & accreditation

Conformity assessment helps companies demonstrate that they have met customers' requirements and includes activities such as testing, inspection and certification. We work to ensure that conformity assessment in the UK is well managed, competent and market driven, thereby contributing to the productivity and competitiveness of UK businesses.

Conformity assessment requirements can differ from country to country and, particularly when there are regulatory requirements, can create barriers to trade. Our work on the quality and conformity assessment infrastructure helps to reduce these barriers by providing mechanisms which allow for mutual recognition of conformity assessment.

Accreditation is the recognition by an authoritative body that a conformity assessment body is competent to carry out specific tasks. It is generally accepted that for an accreditation body to be authoritative it must have the support of government.

A statement of the key principles relating to conformity assessment policy in the UK, including accreditation, has been developed and was first published in May 2005.

To develop and promote national and international conformity assessment and accreditation, we work in three main areas:

Standards

We contribute to the development of the ISO 9000 series of quality management system standards through BSI. This series of standards was radically revised in 2000 and the three previous standards against which organisations’ quality management systems could be assessed have been superseded by a single standard - ISO 9001:2000.

There are many sources of information on this standard but an excellent introduction is available as a workbook, 'Quality Systems in the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME): A guide to the adoption of the ISO 9001:2000 standard' that has been developed by the Association of British Certification Bodies (ABCB), the Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Further information on ISO 9001:2000 can be found on the ISO website and it also forms an important element of our initiatives to promote best practice in business.

The conformity assessment procedures in most New Approach Directives include three Modules (D, E and H) that enable a manufacturer to meet the requirements on the basis of an approved quality management system. ISO 9001:2000 is now the harmonised standard for these three modules and as such will provide an element of presumption of conformity to the requirements in the Directive. Some further explanation of the application of the standard for these modules has been provided here - ISO 9001:2000 - Providing a presumption of conformity to the requirements of Modules D, E and H in New Approach Directives.

We also contribute to the development of the EN 45000 series for the assessment and accreditation of laboratories and certification and inspection bodies and to support the assessment of notified bodies under New Approach directives. Standards in this series are being progressively updated internationally and the revised versions are being renumbered in the EN ISO/IEC 17000 series.

European Commission

Through the European Commission, we contribute to the development of European policy on the use of conformity assessment and accreditation to promote the removal of barriers to trade in the single European market and worldwide. On 7 May 2003 the European Commission issued a Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on Enhancing the Implementation of the New Approach Directives which addresses issues including the operation of notified bodies and conformity assessment procedures. Go to BERR's "New Approach Review" page for more details. (Notified bodies are conformity assessment bodies appointed under specific single market directives and "notified" to the European Commission and other Member States).

UKAS

We sponsor UKAS. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), UKAS is recognised as the sole UK body for the accreditation of certification, testing and inspection bodies to the EN 45000 and ISO 17000 series of standards. These bodies in turn certify, test and inspect companies' systems and products. UKAS also accredits laboratories involved in the calibration of measuring equipment. UKAS is licensed by us to use and confer the national accreditation marks which symbolise Government recognition of the accreditation process. Information on UKAS and accredited organisations is available from the UKAS website. UKAS accredited certification bodies and companies registered by UKAS accredited certification bodies are listed in the United Kingdom Register of Quality Assessed Companies published by the Stationery Office.

UKAS accreditation provides an assurance of the competence, impartiality and integrity of conformity assessment bodies. UKAS accredited certification, testing, calibration and inspection reduces the need for suppliers to be assessed by each of their customers. UKAS' involvement in international groups provides for mutual recognition which further reduces the need for multiple assessment of suppliers and as a consequence helps to reduce barriers to trade. We therefore recommend the use of UKAS accredited conformity assessment services wherever this is an option.

UKAS also assesses potential Notified Bodies on behalf of ourselves and other Government Departments according to principles established by the Department.

A UKAS driven Accreditation Awareness Campaign was launched by Lord Sainsbury in 2000. A series of initiatives have been designed to help raise awareness of the benefits of UKAS accreditation for business, especially SMEs and other parts of Government.  This campaign is continuing with our support and further information can be found on the UKAS website.

In 2004, as part of our sponsorship activities, we commissioned the consultants Hedra plc to provide an independent assessment of UKAS' efficiency and quality of service provision. A Summary of the Efficiency Review findings is available. The summary report of a progress review was published in September 2007.

Contact: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, Bay 410, Kingsgate House, 66-74 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6SW.

Accreditation - John Mortimer
Telephone 0203 300 8629

Conformity Assessment - Ajay Gohil
Telephone 0203 300 8630