The last EA Horizontal Harmonisation Committee (HHC) meeting held in Brussels on 12 and 13 April 2016 made significant headway with improving some key EA documents.

Picture: Mr. Ignacio Pina (ENAC), the HHC Chair.

In addition to coordinating and monitoring a uniform application of the accreditation requirements (as set out in the ISO/IEC 17011 standard), the HHC is in charge of coordinating EA technical activities to support accreditation for notification purposes. It is also responsible for monitoring the process for the evaluation of sectoral conformity assessment bodies and making available the relevant information to the EA NAB members.

The Chair of the HHC, Ignacio Pina from the Spanish national accreditation body (ENAC), presented proposals for the review of two relevant documents for accreditation. One of them is the document that provides the EA Conditions for the Use of Accreditation Symbols, Text Reference to Accreditation and Reference to EA MLA Signatory Status (EA-3/01). The proposed revision aims to reinforce visibility, clarity and transparency of what the accreditation mark or its absence means for the customers of accredited services.

Besides the Committee expended part of its two meeting days to review EA-2/17: EA Document on Accreditation for Notification Purposes. The conclusion of the Accreditation for Notification project which provides for an agreed list of accreditation standards to be used for notification is the driving force for the new proposed revision work. The document should also change its status into a mandatory document.

Time was also dedicated to the ongoing ISO/IEC 17011 revision at CASCO level. Four specific issues were identified as needing further consideration within the HHC in order to determine whether guidance would have to be developed when the new standard is published.

Moreover, the Chair presented the results of a survey aimed at collecting feedback from EA members about implementation of EA-2/13: EA Cross-Border Accreditation Policy and Procedure for Cross-Border Cooperation between EA Members. A TFG was appointed to review the comments with a view to decide on the need for a further revision of the policy.

HHC Members were informed about the last workshops which Ignacio Pina led in January 2016 in order to promote and demonstrate the crucial role of accreditation in regulation development to the European Commission delegates. In the meantime, a second session of the workshop is being planned in October or November. It is already agreed to hold two sessions in 2017. A HHC success story!

Finally, following a suggestion made by one HHC member, it was agreed to plan a workshop in 2017 in combination with one HHC meeting for instance, in order to present and share experience with the implementation of the new EA-1/22 process for analysis of CA schemes.