International cooperation
All member states of the European Union have the possibility to appoint a national accreditation body. This is legally established in the European Regulation 765/2008. The RvA has been appointed by the government to fulfil this role in the Netherlands.
European harmonization
All European accreditation bodies are members of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). The EA’s task is to organise the peer reviews and to promote harmonisation between the members. The RvA actively participates in various EA committees and the EA board.
Mutual recognition means that all declarations of conformity issued under European accreditation have the same status. An accreditation issued in our country is therefore also accepted in all other European countries. This promotes free trade. For example, it prevents suppliers of products and services from having to apply for a certificate in every country.
Global agreements
At the international level, there are two umbrella organizations that promote harmonization between countries and regions:
- International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) for laboratories and inspection bodies
- International Accreditation Forum (IAF) for certification bodies
A national accreditation body can be affiliated with both umbrella organisations. The RvA is a co-signatory of the ILAC and IAF Multilateral Agreements. Declarations of conformity from organisations accredited by the RvA are therefore accepted worldwide. This international recognition is extremely important, certainly for large trading and distribution countries such as the Netherlands.
The RvA is a co-signatory of the ILAC-MRA (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) and the IAF-MLA (International Accreditation Forum).