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European
Recognition Programme
Certification organisations or
control bodies operating outside of the EU member states are now required (from January 1,
2009) to demonstrate that they operate a compliant or
equivalent control system to that required within Europe.
Such recognition may be achieved on
a country basis in which nominated certification organisations are
recognised or has to achieved by individual bodies. The IOAS can assist with
the latter.
The IOAS
now offers three
options to comply with the regulation
EC 834/2007 of
June
2007 as follows:
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Accreditation against ISO65 and full compliance with regulation
2092/91 (Article 32 of 834/2007)
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Accreditation against ISO65 with a separate equivalence assessment
of standards (Article 33 of 834/2007)
-
Assessment of equivalence against both ISO65 and standards (Article
33 of 834/2007)
Option 1 can be considered under
IOAS accreditation against ISO/IEC 65.
EU Commission officials have cautioned that this option is unlikely to be
accepted for control bodies operating outside of the EU member states. This
includes EU-based control bodies with activity outside of EU member states.
Option 2 requires entry into two IOAS programmes; a formal accreditation
against ISO/IEC Guide 65 and the separate EU equivalence assessment
programme. The reason for this is explained here.
Option 3 requires entry
solely in to the EU equivalence assessment programme.
All options are implemented in a similar manner and cost much the same, the
important difference being whether the certification body must be compliant
(fully in option 1) or equivalent (option 3). Option 2 requires compliance
against ISO65 but equivalence against the requirements of the regulation.
Options 1 and 2 result in formal accreditations and a certificate. Option 3
is not a formal accreditation and no claims of accreditation can be made.
Options 2 and 3 result in an expert report to the certification organisation
which can be used as the basis for the application to the Commission to
enter on a list of equivalent control bodies.
The European Recogntion Programme of IOAS
is operated in the same way as a formal accreditation but equivalence judgements are made
using the Codex Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and
Marketing of Organically Produced Foods (CAC/GL 32)
The detailed rule on imports
from third countries into the EU was published as (EC) 1235/2008 on December
8, 2008 and makes clear that continuing recognition status will
require full surveillance as for accreditation. A guidance document '
Guidelines on imports of organic
products into the European Union' were published by the Commission in
December 2008 and contain important information on.
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Application for recognition as
a complaint or equivalent control body
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Indication of bodies recognised
for writing assessment reports (including
'an international
supervisory or accreditation body that is specialised in organic
agriculture')
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Annual reporting
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Group certification
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Operator lists and
communication
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Management of irregularities
and infringements
For the most up to date understanding of the new
system, go to our questions and answer page.
Any questions, please contact
David Crucefix, IOAS Assistant
Executive Director.
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Last updated:
20/03/2009
(EC)834/07 came into effect on January 1, 2009 and certification
organisations operating outside of EU member states have until October
31, 2009 to submit applications to the Commission for recognition of
equivalence and be entered on the first list. IOAS offers to all control
organisations the possibility of assessment under our EU Recognition
Programme. See list of control organisations already under surveillance
for this programme.
Ask
David Crucefix, our Assistant
Executive Director ,for more information on this programme.
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