On recognition of PT Provider’s Accreditation

On recognition of PT Provider’s Accreditation

Aventine as Proficiency Testing (PT) Provider is accredited in accordance with ISO/IEC 17043:2010 (GOST ISO/IEC 17043:2010) by the Association of Analytical Centers (AAC) “Analitica”. You can check the status and validity of the Certificate of Accreditation using the Register on the Accreditation Body’s website.

AAC “Analitica” was created in 1991 as an independent non-governmental Accreditation Body for testing laboratories, reference materials manufacturers and PT providers. AAC “Analitica” is an associate member of ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) – the international organization of laboratory accreditation created in 1977.

However, many of our PT Programs participants are accredited by the Federal Service for Accreditation (Rosaccreditation). What does this mean for the participants in practice? To answer this question, we have to look at some related documents.

According to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement, Accreditation Bodies – parties of the MRA – recognize that all accreditations are equal (see 4(i)).

The necessity and obligation of recognition is also stated in the following documents signed by Rosaccreditation in 2017:

• Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement;
• ILAC P5:02/2016 ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement: Scope and Obligations.

Each signatory of this document:

• recognizes, within its powers, accreditation certificates issued by other parties to the agreement as equivalent to their own accreditation certificates;
• accepts and uses validated certificates and protocols of organizations accredited by other parties to the arrangement.

Over a hundred Accreditation Bodies have entered into ILAC’s MRA. AAC “Analitica” entered into this agreement in 2009.

Mutual recognition of conformity assessment bodies (which includes accreditation bodies and testing laboratories/ centers) is also guaranteed in Annex 11 to the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.

On 24^th of July, 2020 ILAC Chair and the head of the Accreditation Body AAC “Analitica” have signed a new edition of the ILAX MRA which included all accreditation schemes carried out by AAC “Analitica”: accreditation of testing laboratories, PT providers and reference materials manufacturers.

As of now ILAC MRA is signed by both AAC “Analitica” and Rosaccreditation (numbers 77 and 78 on the image below).

In addition, both AAC “Analitica” and Rosaccreditation  have the full member status of APAC (numbers 32 and 33 om the image below).

From all stated above it can be concluded that accreditation by AAC “Analitica” is complete and comprehensive when it comes to recognition in the international accreditation system set up by ILAC, which allows PT Provider to develop PT programs and execute them independently. Additional accreditation by Rosaccreditation is not required.

At the same time, the participants of our programs have a right to use the results of measurements and tests validity assessment to confirm their competence as part of accreditation procedures, inspection check-up and other check-ups conducted by the relevant conformity assessment bodies whenever it’s applicable.

If you faced rejection of your PT participation results by an accreditation body, please send us a written statement to ptp@aventine.ru as soon as possible and we’ll do our best to find a solution to this problem.