(Logo: GSO)  
 
Standardization Organization  
for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf  
GSO  
 
 
 
 
 
 
GUIDE  FOR NOTIFIED BODIES  
 
 
 
Draft No.: (8) – Date: 26 November 2008  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note:  
This release represents the eighth draft and is is sued for review by  the GCC Committee for 
Conformity Assessment  and for presentation  of its comments thereon within two weeks of its 
publication date  
      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 2 of 12  
 
 
Table of Contents  
 
 
Article  Topic  Page No.  
1  3 
2 Definitions  3 
3 General Provisions  5 
4 Terms and Conditions of Appointment  5 
5 Assessment and Appointment Procedure  7 
6 Withdrawal of Appointment  11 
7 Transit ional  Provisions  12 
8 Sources  12 
      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 3 of 12  
Article 1:  
The purpose of this Guide is to set minimum criteria used in the  assessment  and appointment 
of conformity assessment  bodies which  will participate in activities necessary for compliance 
with the requirements of Gulf Technical Standards, as well as:  
• to provide explanation s and clarification to conformity assessment bodies wishing to 
work  as notifie d bodies  in Member States of the Cooperation  Council for the Arab 
States of the Gulf (GCC) as regards  technical regulations  applicable in GCC Member  
States;  
• to specify the method used in the  assessment and appointment of notified  conformity 
assessment bodi es and their subsequent  assessment and registration method s. 
Adherence to  the requirement s of this Guide shall constitute  the basis for any 
recommendations for the appointment of any conformity assessment body wishing  to work as 
a notified body . 
This Guide is also a supplement to laws, regulations and technical standards issued by the 
Organization  in this respect.  
 
Article 2: Definitions  
 
Unless otherwise indicated by the context, the following terms – wherever used in this 
Regulation – shall have the meani ng set out below:  
 
Gulf Cooperation Council  (GCC)  
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf . 
 
Organization  
The Standard ization Organization for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.  
 
Member States  
GCC Member states ( The Sta te of United Arab Emirates , The  Kingdom of Bahrain, The 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The Sultanate of Oman, The State of Qatar,  The State of Kuwait).  
 
Board of Directors  
The board of directors  of the Organization.  
 
Technical Council  
The technical council  of th e Organization . 
 
Gulf Technical Regulation  
A document approved by the Board of Directors that lays down the specifications of the 
products and the relevant processing operations and the production methods, including the 
applicable administrative provisions  to be adhered to. The Regulation may include or examine 
in particular the terms, definitions, packing and the marking or labelling requirements to be 
applied to the products, operations or the methods of production.  
 
National legislation  
A mandatory docum ent issued by competent authorities of GCC Member States laying down 
essential  requirements for products or specific product categories .      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 4 of 12  
Conformity Marking  
Conformity marking used by  GCC Member States which has a specific shape and is attached 
to the rele vant product and/or a declaration of conformity  which documents that the product 
fulfils essential requirements laid down in the rel evant  Gulf Technical Regulation.  
 
Essential requirements  
Binding s afety, health and environmental requirements applicable to products.  
 
Gulf Standards  
A document approved by the Board of Directors that lays down, for normal and frequent use, 
the rules and instructions or characteristics of the products, operations or relevant methods of 
production thereof , the adherence to whi ch shall not be compulsory. This document may 
include or examine in particular the terms, definitions, packing and the marking or labelling 
requirements to be applied to the products, operations or the methods of production.   
 
ISO 
International Organizatio n for Standardization.  
 
IEC 
International Electrotechnical Commission.  
 
Conformity assessment  
Confirmation that the requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are 
fulfilled . 
 
Applicant  
A conformity assessment body wishing to work a s a notified body in GCC Member States, 
which submits an application for such purpose. Any such body must be accredited in 
accordance with the accreditation definition set forth in ISO 17000 (or need not be accredited 
subject to special terms of this Guide ). 
 
Notified body  
An applicant wh o has been appointed as a conformity assessment body capable of 
implementing all conformity assessment measures at a certain level specified in Gulf 
Technical Regulations (usually an accredited body).  
 
Appointing body  
A gov ernmental authority in each Member State to which the State has delegated  power s to 
decide on the appointment of an applicant as a notified body (sometimes referred to as  “the 
assessor ”). Each of the Member States shall provide the Organization with inform ation about 
its authorized appointing body.  
 
Accreditation* 
An o fficial certification by a third party that a conformity assessment body is qualified and 
capable of performing  specific conformity assessment tasks.  
                                                
* Source: ISO/IEC 17000       Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 5 of 12  
Accreditation body  
An authorized body con firming the competence of a conformity assessment body.  
 
Identification number  
A unified number allocated at the  relevant Member State 's level and issued by the 
Organization to notified bodies after their appointment.  
 
Conformity assessment module  
A define d conformity assessment measure which has certain limits, inputs and outputs and is 
used directly or indirectly to assess adherence to specified requirements of technical 
regulations or standards. Each module comprises sampling, testing and inspection, eva luation, 
verification and assurance of conformity, certification  and any other related measures.  
 
Type  
A set of variations of a single product whose mutual differences do not affect the safety level 
and other requirements relating to their use.  
 
Product  
A product or process . 
 
Article 3: General  Provisions  
 
3.1 Submission of applications for the appointment of conformity assessment bodies  
 
Applicants shall present their applications to the appointing body in any Member State. The 
Member States shall notify t he Organization of the conformity assessment body/bodies that 
has/have been appointed by them as a notified body/notified bodies for the purpose of the 
completion of their registration with the Organization, the issue of an identification number to 
each of  them and publication of a  list of the notified bodies of GCC Member States . 
 
3.2 Responsibilities of notified bodies  
 
Notified bodies in each GCC Member State shall perform conformity assessment activities 
necessary to prove that a product submitted by a manufacturer or his representative fulfils all 
essential requirements of the applicable Gulf Technical Regulation(s) (and shall perform 
periodic  inspections) whenever one or more Gulf Technical Regulations require a third party's 
intervention or upon reque st of the manufacturer or his representative, and shall award 
Conformity Marking s to products.  
 
Article 4: Terms and Conditions of Appointment  
 
4.1 Introduction  
 
The appointing body in a Member State shall review  the application on the basis of  the 
followi ng key principles:  independence, integrity , competence , permanent capacity . 
Details of these principles are specified in the set of international standards issued by      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 6 of 12 ISO/CASCO concerning the use and competence of conformity assessment service providers. 
Every applicant must also have in place the following:  
 
(1) employees having sufficient knowledge and experience relating to the performance of 
conformity assessment activities in accordance with the requirements of the relevant 
regulation;  
 
(2) necessary ar rangements and measures to keep confidential all information obtained by 
it during its performance of conformity assessment activities;  
 
(3) sufficient insurance covering its professional activities , unless covered by national 
legislation of the Member Sta tes. 
 
The appointment procedure shall be based on:  
 
(1) essential requirement s laid down in the relevant Gulf Technical Regulation(s) under 
which the conformity assessment body has submitted its application for appointment;  
 
(2) the field in which the appl icant has been accredited, which must  cover the field in 
respect of which  the applicant has filed its application, the body which has awarded 
accreditation to the applicant or, if the applicant is not accredited, the field in which 
the applicant purports t o perform conformity assessment activities;  
 
(3) other conditions that may be specified by the Organization.  
 
In case of a non -accredited applicant, the appointing body is also required to carry out 
detailed assurance proces ses and personal interviews with  highly skilled experts and 
technicians and to review all activities performed by the applicant in order to issue a 
recommendation indicating that the applicant meets the required  conditions.  
 
Obtaining accreditation from the GCC Accreditation Center (or f rom bodies included in the 
list published by the Organization) is a mandatory prerequisite for the applicant's appointment 
as a notified body. In the transition period until the start -up of the operation of the GCC 
Accreditation Center (or the grace period  after the start of the Center 's operations ), priority 
shall be given to applicants accredited by bodies published by the Organization or to those 
fulfilling the requirements of this Guide.  
 
Accreditation does not necessarily mean that the a pplicant will b e appointed as a 
notified body; the final decision on appointment/commissioning of a notified body in the 
Member States is solely at the discretion of the Member States acting through their 
respective official appointing authorities.  
 
4.2 Designated field  
 
The applicant shall be appointed as a notified body in a specific area of conformity 
assessment activities (according to his application ) and in a technical field specified in the 
relevant Gulf Technical Regulation(s), which is defined as “ designated fiel d”. 
      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 7 of 12 Each applicant shall specify in its application submitted to the appointing body the field in 
which it wishes to be appointed by referring to  the applicable Gulf Technical Regulation(s), 
measures and conformity assessment modules which it is capable o f implementing.  
 
Article 5: A ssessment  and Appointment Procedure  
 
5.1 Introduction  
 
This part explains various steps of the process of assessment  of the applicants in the light of 
requirements specified in Article 4 of this Guide.  
 
In order that the appoin ting body may perform its task, particularly if the applicant is not 
accredited, the appointing body must rely on its experience and use a set of measures 
including  inspection of documents, revision, assurance and interviews. It may also assess the 
results  of prior conformity assessment activities performed by the applicant in previous 
phases. In this case, the appointing bodies shall prepare the necessary reports clarifying the 
result of assessment  or periodic  monitoring  or re -assessment  carried out by the m in order to 
substantiate their appointment. Such reports shall concern solely the field where the applicant 
wishes to be appointed. If, however, the applicant is accredited in the required conformity 
assessment field, the appointing body shall complete t he phases described in Article 5.2 
only to the extent  it deems fit and shall be satisfied with the applicant's accreditation 
documents and their assessment, unless indicated otherwise.  
 
5.2 Phases of the assessment  process  
 
The applicant's assessment  proce ss is comp osed of the following four main phases:  
 
• assessment  of compliance;  
• assessment  of adequacy (followed by a recommendation to appoint or not to appoint 
the applicant).  
If the applicant is appointed, the above phases are followed by:  
• periodic  survey/ assessment  (at least once a year) , including  quality systems and 
performance assessment;  
• overall re -assessment  (at least once every four years), including quality systems and 
performance assessment.  
 
The evaluating body may agree with the applicant on the performance of an unofficial 
assessment  before the actual assessment  to provide some time for assessment  of the situation 
and adjusting  the applicant's situation to the relevant requirements. This unofficial assessment  
is recommended particularly to new ap plicants.  
 
These phases are similar to phases of the accreditation process; however, in case of an 
accredited applicant, the appointing body shall only make sure of the scope of the 
accreditation and that the accreditation clearly covers all requirements o f the relevant 
Gulf Technical Standard(s).  
      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 8 of 12 5.2.1  Phase One: assessment  of compliance ( non-accredited applicants ) 
 
This phase includes an assessment  of the applicant's application , including the draft contract, 
and review of supporting documents . The appli cant must submit an official application to the 
appointing body.  
 
The compliance assessment  is largely intended  as a documentary evaluation  focusing on an 
examination of documents and some inspect ion visits to the applicant. Before the start of the 
adequac y assessment, the applicant may be asked to provide any additional information. This 
phase is concentrated on an examination of accreditation certificates, of the scope of 
accreditation and the accreditation body.  
 
Bodies which have successfully passe d the compliance assessment phase shall proceed to the 
following phase:  
 
5.2.2 Phase Two: assessment  of adequacy  (non-accredited applicants ) 
 
This phase includes assessment  of activities and employees, as well as a review of whether 
the non -conformities  reveale d during the first assessment  phase have been remedied . 
 
This assessment  phase is intended to determine  whether the applicant is capable of applying 
its skills practically in the performance  of a conformity assessment under the relevant Gulf 
Technical Stan dard.  
 
The appointing body shall concentrate on an examination and assessment  of the effectiveness 
of the applicant's internal regulations, measures and activities pertaining to conformity 
assessment. This phase shall be  based on a number of interviews and  assurance and may also 
include a review of the applicant's previous activities in the examined and tested fields.  
 
The appointing body may organize personal interviews with all competent persons and 
employees  involved in conformity assessment activities, who are required to  prove their 
capabilities and practical experience.  
 
The purpose of such personal interviews is to determine the technical capacities of such 
employees and to assess the extent of compliance and effectiveness  of the applicant's internal 
system of competencies (whether the persons in charge of  the relevant responsibilities and 
tasks possess technical skills to perform such tasks).  
 
The governmental authority may request any information or the performance of any 
additional assessment measur es before issuing its decision.       Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 9 of 12  
In all case s, 
Member States, acting through their appointing bodies, are ultimately responsible for 
the applicant's appointment as a notified body.  
 
If the appointing body appoints an applicant as a notified body, the appo inting body 
shall issue a letter of  appointment, which shall be sent to the Organization for 
completion of the registration process and the issue of the applicant's identification 
number . The letter of appointment shall include the following:  
 
The notified  body's name, address, contact data and designated field . 
 
A copy of the appointment letter shall be sent to the notified body, which shall present it 
in turn to the Organization for entry in the register of notified bodies and  for the  issue of 
an identifi cation number. The Organization shall inform the other Member States of the 
notified bodies and identification numbers allocated to them.  
 
If an appointing body in a Member State withdraws or cancels an appointment, it shall 
notify the Organization, which shall take the appropriate steps and shall inform the 
other Member States.  
 
5.2.3  Phase s Three and Four: periodic survey and re -assessment (non -accredited 
bodies)  
 
The recommendation relating to the appointment phase shall be upheld  by an annual periodic  
survey and assessment  plus an overall re -assessment carried out every four years. This 
periodic  assessment and re -assessment shall be focused on confirming that quality system s 
and operating measures used by the notified body continue to conform to  the rele vant 
requirements and on an evaluation of the conformity assessment activities based on a review 
of implemented contracts and monitoring  of practical steps taken at various sites as required.  
 
The first periodic  assessment visit shall take place four month s after the date of the 
appointment decision. Subsequent visits shall take place every year until the overall re -
assessment date four years later. If necessary, the appointing body may seek to make periodic  
assessments in shorter than annual intervals.  
 
Appointing bodies shall inform the notified body of the results of the periodic  assessment or 
re-assessment and, where any non -conforming elements  are identified , shall provide the 
notified body with  an opportunity to remedy  them. If any non -conformity persi sts, the 
appointing body may suspend or cancel the appointment decision and notify the Organization, 
which shall notify the other Member States.  
 
A notified body that is not accredited from the outset and obtains accreditation shall be treated 
as an accred ited body as regards periodic  survey and re -assessment.  
 
Appointed a ccredited notified bodies must maintain the force of their accreditation in 
order to keep their status . 
      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 10 of 12 5.2.4  Remedying non -conformi ties (non -accredited bodies)  
 
Identified non -conformiti es which have been remedied shall not be assessed on a case -by-case 
basis; the remediation process of non -conformities shall be assessed after the completion of 
remediation of all such cases. Due to the foregoing, the time limits granted by the appointing 
body to the applicant for remediation of such non -conformities shall vary and the review date 
shall be subject to agreement by the parties.  
 
The normal time limit granted to the applica nt for correction of non -conformities during the 
first assessment phase  is three months (taking into account  that the applicant cannot start its 
work as a notified body because the appointment decision has not yet been issued). The time 
limit granted for remedying non -conformities identified during subsequent visits shall be one 
month.  
 
In cases where non -conformity results in a safety and health risk, the appointing body may 
withdraw the appointment with immediate effect until the internal situation in  the notified 
body /applicant  is remedied and confidence in the conformity assessment activities performed 
by the notified body/applicant is  reinstated.  
 
5.3 Change of the designated field  (all cases)  
 
If the notified body wishes to expand the field of its activities (i.e. its designated field ), such 
request  shall be considered a s a new application and shall not mean re -assessment of the 
scope of work with respect to which the notified body has been originally appointed. To assist 
the new assessment procedure, the same evidence and materials previously  submitted by the 
notified bo dy shall be used in this respect.  
 
A change of the designated field  shall not require the issue of a new letter of appointment to 
set the periodic assessment or re -assessment dates (according to Article 6.5) , but the date of 
periodic assessment of the new designated field  shall be included in the previously determined 
schedule  (in relation to the previous field ). 
 
5.4 Changes affecting activities performed by the notified body  
 
The notified body is obliged to immediately inform the appointing body in case o f any change 
relating to the management structure, employees or any other conditions which may affect its 
ability to fulfil its tasks as a notified conformity assessment body within its specified 
designated field . 
 
5.5 Conditions of appoin tment  
 
The condit ions of appointment shall be included in the relevant notices issued by the 
appointing bodies. Such notices shall include the notified body's consent  to the following 
conditions:  
 
(1) the corporate status  of the notified body in a GCC Member State;  
      Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 11 of 12 (2) the performance of assessments by the appointing body, whether at periodic, annual or 
any other intervals determined by the appointing body (however, periodic inspection 
may not start earlier than four months after the appointment) ( non-accredited bodies) ; 
 
(3) another condition for maintaining the appointment shall be the performance of 
complete re -assessment 3 .5 years (42 months) after the appointment date and every 
four years thereafter or at any other time which the appointing body deems fit ( non-
accredit ed bodies) ; 
 
(4) the acceptance of any additional controlling  measures required by the appointing body  
(non-accredited bodies) ; 
 
(5) neither the appointing body nor the Organization bears any responsibility for errors 
committed by the notified body in the determination of the scope of product 
assessment;  
 
(6) provision of information about its insurance coverage.  Such insurance must include 
public liability and professional indemnity insurance and must cover all GCC Member 
States.  
 
None of the GCC Member St ates shall assume any responsibility for or provide any insurance 
coverage for the activities of notified bodies. The insurance coverage value shall be 
determined by the Member States, shall be notified to the Organization and shall be reviewed 
from time t o time.  
 
Article 6: Withdrawal of Appointment  
 
6.1. The Organization and appointing bodies in the GCC Member States are responsible 
for carrying  out necessary measures in respect of notified bodies in case of an y doubt 
about their activities performed since their appointment as notified bodies.  
 
6.2 If the Organization concludes (whether ex officio  or based on a complaint ) that a 
notified body does not comply with the requirements or does not fulfil its 
responsibilities , it shall notify the appointing body  in the relevant Member State and 
ask it for the documents and materials on which it relied in its assessment of the 
notified body's competence. If the relevant Member State fails to provide this 
evidence, the Organization shall invite the other Member Sta tes to discuss the matter 
and to decide whether to withdraw or not to withdraw the appointment or to issue any 
other decision.  
 
6.3 If the notified body does not fulfil its obligations, the appointing body in the relevant 
Member State shall notify it of su ch failure and shall take the necessary steps, such as 
suspension or withdrawal of the appointment, and shall notify the Organization 
thereof . In such cases and in order to maintain continuity, the appointing body shall 
arrange for the appointment of anoth er body as a notified body to perform the 
activities of the body whose appointment has been withdrawn. At the same time, the 
appointing body shall seek the suspension of certificates which might have been 
issued to the body prior to the withdrawal of its a ppointment.       Standards Office    Guide for Notified Bodies   (Logo: GSO)  
of the General Cooperation Council      
    for the Arab States o f the Gulf  
 
 
Draft No. 8  Date: 26 November 2008  Page 12 of 12  
6.4 It is necessary to take into account that the appointment of notified bodies and the 
withdrawal of appointment fall within the competencies of the appointing body in 
each GCC Member State,  which is responsible for such decision , except for  cases 
referred to in clause 2 above.  
 
Article 7: Transitional Provisions  
 
The following arrangements shall be made i n the transitional period when all parties (the 
GCC Member States' Accreditation Centre, the governmental appointing body, the applicant, 
etc.) have not yet begun their operations : 
 
7.1 The Organization shall coordinate with Member States the presentation of a list of 
international and foreign bodies which shall be considered recognized accreditation 
bodies and whose certificates can be accep ted. 
 
7.2 The Organization shall present a list of international and foreign bodies which shall be 
considered notified bodies and which have been assessed by the accreditation bodies 
included in the above -mentioned list. Those bodies shall have the authori ty to work in 
the GCC Member States in the designated fields determined for them, taking into 
account that such bodies must also fulfil the conditions set forth in this Guide.  
 
Article 8: Sources  
 
(1) Regulation on Conformity Marking of GCC Member States;  
 
(2) Guide to Conformity Assessment Modules;  
 
(3) Gulf Technical Regulations;  
 
(4) ISO/IEC conformity assessment  standards and documents  published by ISO 
Conformity Assessment Committee (CASCO);  
 
(5) EC documents and guidelines concerning the Global Approa ch for Certification and 
Testing, particularly Council Decision 93/465/EEC of 22 July 1999 .