41 WTO countries demand significant changes to GLOBAC documents

On 12 September, German Accreditation Body (DAkkS), together with 40 other EA members, identified the need for changes to the statutes and other documents of GLOBAC at the General Assembly of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA).

In addition to all EU member states, this also includes countries such as Turkey, Israel, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Therefore, there is a broad consensus among a significant number of WTO member states on the need for change.

In its resolution, EA announced that it would decide on a possible withdrawal from GLOBAC if the demands were not met by GLOBAC.

The decision refers to the various legal opinions obtained by DAkkS, the Dutch accreditation body Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA) and EA. The decision also lists a number of shortcomings from the more than 100 pages of legal analyses. For DAkkS, it is essential that all contradictions with European law be eliminated without exception.

DAkkS calls for the postponement of the dissolution of ILAC

The functions of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Accreditation Forum (IAF) are to be transferred to GLOBAC as early as October.

Due to the many unresolved issues surrounding GLOBAC, DAkkS believes that it is no longer realistic to expect GLOBAC to be able to fully replace the functions of ILAC and IAF by October 2025, i.e. in the remaining three to four weeks.

In particular, the following key issues have not yet been resolved:

• Trademark protection for the GLOBAC brand has not been finalised and announced
• No marketing measures have been taken to promote the new brand
• No funding has been provided to cover the costs of promoting the brand
• No conclusive financing concept from GLOBAC for non-profit organisations
• No concept for transferring the IAF and ILAC brands to GLOBAC
• Legal deficiencies in the GLOBAC documents prevent 41 countries from joining or remaining in GLOBAC

DAkkS will therefore propose at the upcoming joint general meeting of ILAC and IAF that the launch of GLOBAC and the dissolution of ILAC be postponed by one year.