THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS ISSUES GUIDANCE TO UK BUSINESSES ENCOURAGING THEM TO USE NATIONALLY ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION.

ABCB has been successful in prompting the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) to state the UK Government’s support for UKAS accredited certification. BIS has published a statement on its website in which it encourages UK businesses, Government and local authorities seeking third party certification to do so with a certification body that is accredited by the UK’s national accreditation body, UKAS.

Accreditation is covered by a European Regulation EC 765/2008 which requires each EU Member State to appoint a national accreditation body. The UK Government has appointed the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) as the UK’s national accreditation body. Article 7(1) of this regulation states that;

BIS has clarified the position, under Regulation 765, of certification bodies that are claiming to be accredited by organisations other than UKAS or other national accreditation bodies appointed by Member States. They state that:

The full content of the BIS statement can be viewed through the following link: www.bis.gov.uk/