ACCREDITATION CRITERIA FOR PRODUCT CERTIFICATION AGENCIES
AC370

June 26, 2024
Effective August 1, 2024

PREFACEThe attached accreditation criteria have been issued to provide all interested parties
with guidelines on implementing performance features of the applicable standards
referenced herein. The criteria were developed and adopted following public hearings
conducted by the International Accreditation Service, Inc. (IAS), Accreditation
Committee and are effective on the date shown above. All accreditations issued orreissued on or after the effective date must comply with these criteria. If the criteria are
an updated version from a previous edition, solid vertical lines (|) in the outer margin
within the criteria indicate a technical change or addition from the previous edition.
Deletion indicators (→) are provided in the outer margins where a paragraph or item
has been deleted if the deletion resulted from a technical change. These criteria may befurther revised as the need dictates.
Copyright © 2024

Page 1 of 7
IAS/PCA/005
AC370
June 26, 2024

ACCREDITATION CRITERIA FOR PRODUCT CERTIFICATION AGENCIES

1

INTRODUCTION
1.1

Scope: These criteria set forth the requirements for obtaining and maintaining International
Accreditation Service, Inc. (IAS), Product Certification Agency accreditation. These criteria
supplement the IAS Rules of Procedure for Product Certification Agency Accreditation.

1.2

Normative and Reference Documents: Publications listed below refer to current editions(unless otherwise stated).
1.2.1

ISO/IEC Standard 17065, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying
products, processes and services.

1.2.2

ISO/IEC Standard 17067, Conformity assessment – Fundamentals of productcertification and guidelines for product certification schemes.

1.2.3

ISO/IEC Standard 17020, Conformity assessment – Requirements for the operation ofvarious types of bodies performing inspection.

1.2.4

ISO/IEC Standard 17021-1, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies
providing auditing and certification of management systems – Part 1: Requirements.

1.2.5

ISO/IEC Standard 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing andcalibration laboratories.

1.2.6

ISO/IEC Standard 17000, Conformity assessment – Vocabulary and general principles.

1.2.7

ISO/IEC Standard 17011, Conformity assessment – Requirements for accreditation
bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.

1.2.8

IAF MD 4: IAD Mandatory Document for the use of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) for Auditing/Assessment Purposes.

1.2.9

IAF MD 7: Mandatory Document for the Harmonization of Sanctions and Dealing

with Fraudulent Behaviour
1.2.10 IAF MD 12: Accreditation Assessment of Conformity Assessment Bodies with Activities
in Multiple Countries.
1.2.11 IAF MD 25: Criteria for Evaluation of Conformity Assessment Schemes
1.2.12 IAF ML 2: General Principles on the Use of the IAF MLA Mark.
1.2.13 APAC TEC4-001 Guidance on Description of Scope of Accreditation – Product Ver 1.0(20190101)
1.2.14 APAC TEC4-002 Guidance on Application of ISO-IEC 17065 Organic Certification Ver
1.0 (20190101)

2

DEFINITIONS
2.1

Applicable definitions of ISO/IEC Standard 17000 series apply.
Page 2 of 7
IAS/PCA/005
AC370
June 26, 2024

2.2

Pilot project: A certification project processed by the Certification Agency to provide objective
evidence of their ability to meet requirements of ISO/IEC 17065 and this accreditation criteria.

3

ELIGIBILITY
Accreditation services are available to a third-party certification agency that:
3.1

Certifies products, processes or services,

3.2Operates, or maintains a subcontract agreement with a testing laboratory and inspection
agency, which meet the requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17065, Sections 6.2.2, Externalresources (outsourcing),

3.3

If the certification agency requires accreditation prior to issuing a certification, the certification
agency shall show compliance to ISO/IEC 17065 by means of a pilot project during theassessment.

4REQUIRED BASIC INFORMATION
4.1

Certification agencies shall demonstrate compliance with the following requirements:
4.1.1

ISO/IEC Standard 17065, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying
products, processes and services,

4.24.1.2

IAS Rules of Procedure for Product Certification Agency Accreditation,

4.1.3

Scheme requirements under which the certification is granted.

Certification programs for processes and services shall have requirements for determining
continued compliance, which include assessment of the management system and the actual
process or service, at least once per year.

5ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (AS APPLICABLE)
5.1

When the certification system used as the basis for a certification activity requires surveillanceat the point of manufacturing or assembly, the certification agency shall have requirements forevery manufacturing or assembly plant producing certified products be visited to performsurveillance activities for certified products. In the absence of a generally recognized minimum
surveillance frequency, the certification agency shall require that each manufacturing or
assembly location authorized to produce the certified product be subject to at least one
surveillance activity each calendar year.
Note:
1.

Regardless of the surveillance techniques used, the content of the surveillance andwhat is reviewed during the surveillance will be the same. Surveillance techniques,
include, but are not limited to:-

Announced (planned) onsite audits
Page 3 of 7
IAS/PCA/005
AC370
June 26, 2024

2.

-

Remote audits-

Unannounced visits-

A combination of the above

It is recommended that onsite surveillance be performed as the primary technique.
Use of remote surveillance should be clearly justified.

3.

5.2

As a minimum, items to consider during surveillance:-

Material traceability-

Inspection and quality control test and measurement equipment calibration-

Manufacturer’s management system, where required by the scheme-

Assessment of production process

Inspection agencies and testing laboratories used as part of the certification process shall meet
one of the following criteria:
5.2.1

Accreditation by IAS, or by another signatory to the International Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA); or

5.2.2

Comply with applicable requirements of ISO/IEC 17020 and/or ISO/IEC 17025,
determined through assessment of the inspection agency and/or testing laboratory byqualified certification agency personnel.

5.2.2.1 In addition to the requirements given in ISO/IEC 17020 and/or ISO/IEC 17025,
evidence of compliance shall include the qualifications of certification agency
personnel conducting the evaluation, and a system for determining continued
compliance which includes periodic assessments, review of reports, and corrective
action reports.
5.2.2.2 Product certification agencies shall have procedures and retain records related tomonitoring the performance of testing and inspection agencies, and of compliance ofreports to all requirements of the certification scheme.

5.3

Product certification agencies shall comply with regulatory requirements of Authority Having
Jurisdiction (AHJ) or other regulatory entities, including specific compliance requirements for
qualification, licensing, etc., of personnel and operation of product certification body.

5.4

Witnessing Inspection Activities: When the certification scheme used as the basis for acertification activity requires the onsite evaluation of the production process or management
system, IAS will periodically witness actual onsite inspections by each accredited certification
agency. The selection of location and scope for witness activity shall be made by IAS, inconsultation with the certification agency, based on various factors – risk, complexity, personnel

Page 4 of 7
IAS/PCA/005
AC370
June 26, 2024

changes, technology utilized, etc. Where possible, the full scope of accreditation will be
reviewed over a full accreditation cycle.

5.5

Witness Testing: All witness testing activities conducted at a manufacturer’s facility shall be
witnessed by technically competent certification agency staff who are trained not only in the test
being witnessed, but in the appropriate sections of ISO/IEC Standard 17025. If the certification
scheme to which the product is to be certified contains specific requirements or limitations
pertaining to witness testing, the requirements of the certification scheme shall also apply.
Appropriate measures shall be taken for long-term testing or sample collection, where constantwitnessing is not feasible, to ensure tampering of the sample or testing equipment does nottake place.

5.6

Use of Manufacturer’s Data: If the certification scheme to which the product is to be certified
contains specific requirements or limitations pertaining to the use of manufacturer's data, therequirements of the certification scheme shall also apply.

If a certification agency plans to use test data generated and submitted by a manufacturer whois not part of witness testing, the certification agency shall have a program in place to ensure
validity and independence of the test data. The certification agency shall consider one or moreof the following for such a program, and shall have justification for those it chooses not toutilize:
5.6.1

Auditing, including unannounced random visits to the manufacturer’s laboratory, toensure applicable requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17025 are satisfied;

5.6.2

Performing random duplicate analyses;

5.6.3

Having the manufacturer’s laboratory participate in proficiency testing programs, whereavailable, for applicable test method;

5.6.4

5.7

Technical review of the raw test data rather than acceptance of just the result.

Conformity Assessment Schemes
5.7.1

All conformity assessment schemes shall comply with IAF MD25 unless exempt.
Exempt schemes are:5.7.1.1 Schemes included or invoked by legislation/regulation, and/or
5.7.1.2 Developed by national, regional or international standardization bodies.
5.7.2

Annex A lists a few of the schemes that are accepted by IAS. These are considered
third-party schemes. Annex A may be revised periodically as an editorial revision tothese criteria.

Page 5 of 7IAS/PCA/005
AC370
June 26, 2024

5.8

Non-Accredited Product Certification where the CAB is accredited for the same scope (IAF
Resolution 2018-13):
Resolution 2018-13 states: Non-Accredited Product Certification where the CAB isaccredited for the same scope - The General Assembly acting on the recommendation of
the Technical Committee resolved that IAF Accreditation Body members shall havelegally enforceable arrangements with their accredited CABs for product certification thatprevents the CAB from issuing non-accredited product certification in scopes for which
they are accredited.

Note: If there is an exception to the above, the CAB must justify the exception to IAS, and if acceptedby IAS, the certification is still considered accredited.

6LINKS TO ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
6.1

Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation – http://www.apac-accreditation.org

6.2

IAS – www.iasonline.org

6.3

International Accreditation Forum – www.iaf.nu

6.4

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation – www.ilac.org

These criteria were previously issued May 2007, April 2008, October 2009, October 2011, June 2013, February 2014, February
2015, April 2017, September 2018, editorially revised January 2019 and December 2020; and previously issued July 2021 andDecember 2023.

Page 6 of 7
IAS/PCA/005
AC370
June 26, 2024

Annex A
Product Certification Schemes
A.1

CARB ATCM – https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/compwood-publications

A.2

EPA Energy Star – https://www.energystar.gov/A.3

EPA Formaldehyde – https://www.epa.gov/formaldehyde

A.4

EPA WaterSense – https://www3.epa.gov/watersense/

A.5

GLOBALG.A.P. – https://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/

A.6

BRC Global Standards (BRCGS) – https://www.brcgs.com/

A.7

International Featured Standards (IFS) – https://www.ifs-certification.com/index.php/en/

A.8

PEFC, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification – https://www.pefc.org/standardsimplementation/standards-and-guides

Page 7 of 7
IAS/PCA/005
AC370
June 26, 2024