International organizations and quality associations:
- ISO (International Organization for Standardization) - This organization was established in 1947
in order to harmonize the industrial standards of various countries and bring these standards to a single "base". This
organization has about 163 members to date. The members of the International Organization for Standardization are national
standardization bodies. The main activity of ISO is the development, publication and dissemination of standards. ISO technical
committees are engaged in the development of standards.
- ISO TC 176 (International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee 176) - This is
the committee of the International Organization for Standardization, which is responsible for the development and release of
quality management standards. This committee is responsible for the preparation of ISO 9000 series standards, and all supporting
documents related to this standard.
- IAF MLA (International Accreditation Forum - Multilateral Recognition Arrangement) - It is an
international association of accreditation bodies. The main purpose of the creation of this association is to develop uniform
rules for accreditation and rules for certification of management systems, products, services, personnel, etc. for all members.
The creation of uniform rules allows us to guarantee a unified approach to audits and conformity assessment of all accredited
certification bodies. This allows us to accept of certificates issued by various certification bodies in various countries that
are members of the IAF MLA.
- CEN (European Committee for Standardization) - This committee was established in 1975 by
representatives of the European Community countries. The headquarters of the committee is located in Brussels. The purpose of
the creation of the committee is to eliminate barriers between the production enterprises of the European Community and
consumers through the creation and development of European Technical standards and legal documents. The standards adopted by CEN
become mandatory for all member countries of the EEC.
- IQNET Association - The International Certification Network - It is an association of
certification bodies from various countries of the world. It was established in 1990 in order to increase confidence in the
results of certification. The work of this association is also aimed at mutual recognition of certificates issued by certification
bodies that are members of IQNET.
- ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group - This is a group of experts, auditors and professionals in the
ISO 9001 quality management system. The group includes delegates of ISO TC 176 and IAF MLA. The main purpose of the creation of this
group is to assist and support experts and auditors in conducting of quality management systems audits for compliance with the
requirements of ISO 9001. This experts group develops and publishes methodological recommendations and explanations on conducting
audits and rules for verifying certain requirements of the ISO 9001 standard.
- EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) - The Fund was established in 1988 by fourteen
leading European companies. The purpose of the foundation was to promote the development of quality systems and product improvement by
European companies, as well as to increase their competitiveness in the world market. The Foundation is the developer and popularizer
of the quality system model based on the improvement criteria (EFQM model), as well as the founder of the European Award for Excellence
(EFQM Excellence Award).
- EA (European Cooperation for Accreditation) - It is an association of national accreditation
bodies of European countries. The purpose of the association is to harmonize national standards, develop and apply common
approaches, rules and norms of accreditation of certification bodies and testing laboratories of the European Community.
National accreditation systems and accreditation bodies:
- ANSI (American National Standards Institute) - It oversees the development and implementation
of US national standards, as well as the accreditation of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification bodies.
- BoA (Bureau of Accreditation) – The National Accreditation Office of Vietnam. It conducts
accreditation of testing laboratories, certification bodies and inspection control.
- BELAC (Belgian Accreditation Body) - The National Accreditation Body of Belgium. It is engaged
in the accreditation of certification bodies and testing laboratories.
- BMWA (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labor) - The National Accreditation Body of
Austria.
- CAI (Czech Accreditation Institute) - The National Accreditation Body of the Czech Republic.
Conducts accreditation of testing laboratories, certification bodies and inspection control.
- CNAS (China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment) – This is the National
Accreditation Body of China. It conducts accreditation of testing laboratories, certification bodies and inspection control.
- COFRAC (Comite Francais d'accreditation) – This is the National Accreditation Body of France.
It conducts accreditation of laboratories, certification bodies, inspection control and safety.
- DA (Directorate of Accreditation) – It is the National Accreditation Body of Albania.
- DAC (Dubai Accreditation Center) – It is the accreditation Body of the United Arab Emirates.
- DANAC (Danish Accreditation) – It is a Danish foundation for Accreditation and Metrology. This
is the Danish Accreditation Body.
- DAR (German Accreditation Council) – It is the National accreditation Body of Germany. In 2010,
DAkkS (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH) became the national accreditation body.
- EMA (Mexican Accreditation Entity) is the National Accreditation Body of Mexico.
- ENAC (Entidad Nacional de Acreditacion) is the National Accreditation Body of Spain.
- EGAC (Egyptian Accreditation Council) is the National Accreditation Body of Egypt.
- ESYD (Hellenic Accreditation System S.A.) is the National Accreditation Body of Greece.
- FINAS (Finnish Accreditation Service) is the National Accreditation Body of Finland.
- HKAS (Hong Kong Accreditation Service) is the Hong Kong Accreditation Body.
- INAB (Irish National Accreditation Board) is the National Accreditation Body of Ireland.
- INDECOPI (National Institute for Competition Protection and Intellectual Property Protection)
is the National Accreditation Body of Peru.
- INMETRO (National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality) is the
National Accreditation Body of Brazil.
- INN (Instituto Nacional de Normalizacion) is the National Accreditation Body of Chile.
- IPAC (Portuguese Institute for Accreditation) is the Portuguese Accreditation Body.
- JAB (Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment) is the accreditation Body of Japan.
It conducts accreditation of management system certification bodies, laboratories, personnel certification bodies.
- JASC (Japan Accreditation System for Product Certification Bodies of JIS Mark) is the accreditation
system of the National Committee for Standardization of Japan. The Committee develops standards, coordinates accreditation and
certification activities.
- JAS-ANZ (Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand) is the National Accreditation
System of Australia and New Zealand.
- KAB (Korea Accreditation Board) is the accreditation body of South Korea.
- KAS (Korea Accreditation System) is the National Accreditation System of South Korea.
- KAN (Accreditation Body of Indonesia) is the National Accreditation Body of Indonesia.
- NA (Norwegian Accreditation) is the National Accreditation Body of Norway.
- NABCB (National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies) is the National Accreditation Body of
India.
- NAC (National Accreditation Council of Thailand) is the National Accreditation Body of Thailand.
- OAA (Organismo Argentino de Acreditacion) is the National Accreditation Body of Argentina.
- OLAS (Luxembourg Office of Accreditation) is the National Accreditation Body of the Principality of
Luxembourg.
- PCA (Polish Centre for Accreditation) is the National Accreditation Body of Poland.
- PNAC (Pakistan National Accreditation Council) is the National Accreditation Body of Pakistan.
- RENAR (Romanian Accreditation Association) is the Accreditation Association of Romania.
- RvA (Dutch Accreditation Council) is the National Accreditation Body of Denmark.
- SA (Slovenska Akreditacija) is the National Accreditation Body of Slovenia.
- SAC (Singapore Accreditation Council) is the accreditation Body of Singapore.
- SANAS (South African National Accreditation System– is the accreditation system of South Africa.
- SAS (Swiss Accreditation Service) is the national accreditation Body of Switzerland.
- SCC (Standards Council of Canada) is the National Accreditation Body of Canada.
- SINCERE-FIDEA (Italian Federation for Accreditation) is the National Accreditation Body of Italy.
- SNAS (Slovak National Accreditation Service) is the National Accreditation Body of Slovakia.
- Standards Malaysia (Department of Standards Malaysia) is the National Accreditation Body of Malaysia.
- SWEDAC (Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment) is the National Accreditation
Body of Sweden.
- TURKAK (Turkish Accreditation Agency) is the National Accreditation Body of Turkey.
- UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) is the UK's national Accreditation System.
International quality system certification bodies:
- Bureau Veritas Group - headquarters in Belgium.
- Bureau Veritas Certification - Formerly called Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI) -
headquartered in England (a subsidiary of Bureau Veritas, founded in 1988).
- Det Norske Veritas (DNV) - headquarters in Norway.
- Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd. - headquarters in England.
- TUV Thuringen, TUV SUD, TUV NORD, TUV Rheinland - there are several different TUV bodies.
- SGS - headquarters in Switzerland.
- KEMA - headquarters in the Netherlands.
