Accreditation to verify proportionality of conformity assessment

Published: 8 October 2012

Policies & Issues: Internal Market - Compliance, Standards & Enforcement

Orgalime and NORMAPME support the principle that conformity assessment must be carried out in a proportionate manner, taking into account the size and the nature of the organisation concerned and other relevant criteria, and that this principle should be properly implemented.  In particular, conformity assessment bodies need to apply the principle of proportionality as contained in Article 17 (6) of Decision 768/2008/EC and Article 8 (10) of Regulation (EC) 765/2008 when carrying out the conformity assessment procedures set by relevant legislation or voluntary conformity assessment schemes based on defined technical specifications.

Proportionality of conformity assessment does not imply simplified conformity assessment procedures or light certification/testing.

Proportionality does not affect the technical requirements or the assessment method specified for products, but rather seeks to relate the administrative conditions and the overall scale of a conformity assessment procedure to the size and individual situation of an undertaking.

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