Conformity Magazine - February 2009 - (Page 24)

Emerging Issues in Standards © Dave Frederick | Dreamstime.com k The ILAC Arrangement: Facilitating Trade by Peter Unger, American Association for Laboratory Accreditation O n November 2nd, 2000, 36 laboratory accreditation bodies, all full members of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and representing 28 separate economies, signed a multi-lateral, mutual recognition arrangement (ILAC Arrangement) in Washington DC to promote the acceptance of technical test and calibration data for exported goods. The aim of the ILAC Arrangement is to develop a global network of accredited testing and calibration laboratories that can be relied upon to provide accurate results. Background The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) started as a conference in 1977 with the aim of developing international cooperation for facilitating trade by promotion of the acceptance of accredited test and calibration results. In 1996, ILAC became a formal cooperation with a charter to establish a network of mutual recognition agreements among accreditation bodies that would fulfill this aim. ILAC was incorporated in 2002. The ILAC Arrangement was the culmination of 23 years of intensive work. Eight years on from the ILAC Arrangement’s effective date of January 2001, 60 laboratory accreditation bodies from 47 economies are signatories to the ILAC Arrangement to promote the acceptance of accredited test and calibration data. This ILAC Arrangement provides significant technical underpinning to international trade. Until the ILAC Arrangement, there had been no truly global mutual recognition agreement in laboratory accreditation, which had been a hindrance for many types of international trade. The strength of the ILAC Arrangement is the establishment of a global network of accredited testing and calibration laboratories that are assessed and recognized as competent by the other accreditation bodies that are signatory to the ILAC Arrangement. The signatories have, in turn, been peerreviewed and shown to meet ILAC’s criteria for competence. The ultimate aim of the ILAC Arrangement is increased the use and acceptance by industry and government of the results from accredited laboratories, including results from laboratories in other countries. In this way, the free-trade goal of “a product tested once and accepted everywhere” can be realized. The Foundation of the Arrangement The principal elements for establishing confidence among the participating systems within ILAC are listed below. These elements are designed to ensure conformance with the ILAC requirements in order to establish and maintain mutual confidence in the technical competence of ILAC members and their accredited laboratories. The elements are: 1. Exchange of information on the development and operation of accreditation programs of ILAC Full Members, Associates and Affiliates; Participation in the work and decision-making of the ILAC General Assembly and ILAC committees and regional cooperations, where applicable; 2. 2 Conformity february 2009

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Conformity Magazine - February 2009 Contents Editor's Note FCC Clarifies Closed Captioning Requirements for DTV Receivers Commission Cracks Down (For the Fifth Time!) On Junk Fax Marketer FDA Requests Comments on Global Harmonization Documents Australia Now Requires Solar Panel Testing and Certification EU Drafting New Directive on Toy Safety EU Commission Revises Standards List for EMC, R&TTE Directives Additional Standards Published For the EU's Medical Devices Directive EU Commission Publishes Additional Standards for Directives on Active Implantable, In Vitro Medical Devices EMC For the Functional Safety of Automobiles ESD Open Forum The ILAC Arrangement: Facilitating Trade Efficient Methodology for the EMI Analysis of Optical Transceivers Including PCBs and/or Flex Circuits The EuP Directive - Implementation, Design Requirements and Issues Chambers, Shielding, and Accessories Buyer's Guide CPSIA Lead Requirements Apply to Existing Inventory, Says CPSC CPSC Clarifies Certifcation Requirements Other CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update Product Reviews UL standards Update Telcordia Standards Update From Our "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - February 2009

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