Accreditation is the independent evaluation of conformity assessment bodies against recognised standards to ensure their impartiality and competence. Accreditation bodies are established in many countries with the primary purpose of ensuring that conformity assessment bodies are subject to oversight by an authoritative body. Accreditation bodies, which have been evaluated by peers as competent in compliance with ISO/IEC 17011, sign arrangements (the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) and the ILAC Arrangement (MRA) that enhance the acceptance of products and services across national borders, thereby creating a framework to support international trade through the removal of technical barriers. These arrangements are managed by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), in the fields of management systems, products, services, personnel and other similar programmes of conformity assessment, and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), in the fields of laboratory and inspection accreditation to ensure mutual recognition of accredited certification, inspection and laboratories between signatories to the MLA/MRA, and subsequently acceptance of accredited certification, inspection and laboratories in many markets based on one accreditation.
EIC
In the food sector several countries/agencies have imposed import control systems based on international standards under the provisions of WTO-SPS Agreement. These Agreements also provide for recognition of the export certification system of member trading partners provided it meets the requirements of their import control. EIC, as the official export certification body of India, has made agreement with different agencies/countries for recognition of its certification.
Click here to see the details of areas where EIC’s certification is recognised at present with 15 countries.
NABCB
The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) is the national accreditation body for accreditation of certification and inspection bodies, and a constituent board of Quality Council of India (QCI), the apex body on accreditation and quality promotion in India. NABCB is a member of International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) as well as signatory to its Multilateral Recognition Arrangements (MLAs) for QMS, EMS, FSMS & Product certification.
Click here to see the details of MLAs signed by NABCB.
NABCB has also signed 2 MRAs with the Pacific Accreditation Programme (PAC) which is one of the five specialist regional bodies of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) for its accreditation programme on:
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Information Security Management System (ISMS) as per ISO/IEC 27001
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Food Safety Management System (FSMS) as per ISO 22000
NABCB is also a Full member of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation(ILAC)Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) as well as signatory to its Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) for inspection. The signatories agree to accept the results of each others accredited conformity assessment bodies under the ILAC MRA and thus remove the need for additional calibration, testing, medical testing and/or inspection of imports and exports. Click here to see list of the accreditation bodies that are signatories to the ILAC MRA, including scope of their recognition and their contact points
NABL
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is a full member of ILAC and APLAC and is signatory to ILAC MRA as well as APLAC MRA for accreditation of testing including medical and calibration laboratories, which is based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of other MRA Partner accreditation systems.
BIS
BIIS being the National Standards Body of India has been participating in International Standardization activities through its active participation with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Number of Indian Standards have been harmonised with ISO/IEC Standards to facilitate acceptance of Indian products in the International Market. BIS is actively involved in the Regional and Bilateral Cooperation Programmes pertaining to standardization, conformity assessment training etc.
So far BIS has signed MRA with five countries and also signed 25 MoU in the fields of standardization and conformity assessment with NSBs of other countries. Click here for details.