Table of Contents
09.06.2024 World Accreditation Day
June 9th 2024 marks World Accreditation Day: a global initiative established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) to promote the value of accreditation.
This year’s theme is Accreditation: Empowering tomorrow and shaping the future.
Discover the World Accreditation Day 2024
- video
- the ILAC and IAF joint statement and
- the brochure.
05.06.2024 : Provisions for the transition from EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010 to EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023
EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023 was published on May 9, 2023. This new version will replace the current standard EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010.
ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) and EA (European co-operation for Accreditation) have both approved a three-year transition period.
At the end of this transition period, all accredited proficiency test providers must have been assessed and accredited according to ISO/IEC 17043:2023, i.e. by May 31, 2026 at the latest. After this date, accreditation according to EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010 will no longer be valid.
In order to facilitate the transition to the new version of the standard, BELAC has taken the following decisions concerning the transition period:
- From March 15, 2024, all new applications for accreditation must be submitted in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023. In other words, all initial applications for accreditation received after March 14, 2024 will be made in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023.
- From June 1st, 2024, all pre-assessments and initial assessments will be carried out in accordance with standard EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023. Organisations that are already accredited may, if they wish, be assessed to the new standard from this date.
- As BELAC will try as much as possible to combine the transition assessment with regular surveillance or renewal assessments, all assessments will, also for already accredited bodies, in principle be done according to EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023 from October 1st,2024. However, to make this possible, the responsibility lies with the accredited body to ensure that it is ready to have the assessment performed according to the new version of the standard, i.e. that it has already taken or initiated the necessary actions within the framework of the transition when applying for the transition assessment.
To this end, a transition plan (BELAC 6-311) must be submitted prior to the assessment, which will be initially evaluated by the secretariat. If the transition plan shows that the accredited body has not taken sufficient steps to combine the transition assessment with the planned surveillance or renewal audits in a timely manner, a separate transition assessment will be required. The transition plan must be submitted no later than one month before the first day of the assessment and no later than June 1st, 2025. It must list the required adjustments (in sufficient detail) and the corresponding timing for their implementation. - From February 1st, 2025, BELAC will no longer issue initial accreditations according to the EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010 standard.
- June 1st, 2025: deadline for submitting a transition plan to BELAC. If the assessment (according to EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023) takes place before this date, the deadline to submit this transition plan is 1 month before the first assessment day (see above).
For non-conformities related to different or new requirements in the new version of the standard, proficiency testing providers will have more time to carry out corrections and corrective actions. However, the implementation of these actions must be completed in order to make the transition to the new version of the standard. In any case, to make this transition on time, the corrections and corrective actions undertaken must be submitted before February 1st, 2026. The finalisation of non-conformities is defined in accordance with the provisions of document BELAC 3-11 :
- For type A non-conformities: acceptance of the cause, impact and extent analysis, the corrections and corrective actions taken, and proof of implementation;
- For type B non-conformities: acceptance of the cause, impact and extent analysis, the proposed corrections and corrective actions and the accompanying implementation schedule.
By May 31, 2026, all certificates (and scopes) that refer to conformity with standard EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010 must be converted to accreditation certificates that refer to conformity with standard EN ISO/IEC 17043:2023.
For proficiency testing providers who have not switched to the new standard before the end of the transition period, accreditations issued on the basis of EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010 will no longer be valid from June 1st, 2026.