Possible agreement between GLOBAC and 41 WTO Member States
After intensive negotiations between the 41 members of the European co-operation for Accreditation, including the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS), and the international accreditation organization GLOBAC, a looming fragmentation of the accreditation system appears to have been averted.
Legal experts from various member states supported this challenging negotiation process with legal opinions and statements to ensure compliance with the requirements of global trade and a functioning international accreditation system.
By the end of November, the legal experts involved had reached an agreement on the key regulatory issues. The negotiated amendments are now to be submitted to GLOBAC’s competent bodies for approval.
Accordingly, on 27 December DAkkS informed GLOBAC of its intention to join by submitting a so-called letter of intent (LOI). Following extensive consultations, the German Accreditation Advisory Board had recommended this step, as the participating legal experts had agreed on substantial amendments to GLOBAC’s statutes and other fundamental documents.
With the submission of the LOI, transitional arrangements regarding the use of the ILAC and IAF logos already apply. DAkkS will provide more detailed information on this at a later date.
DAkkS expressly welcomes the agreement reached. It marks an important milestone in safeguarding a uniform, reliable, and internationally recognized accreditation system. As such, the agreement makes a significant contribution to promoting free and fair global trade within the framework of the World Trade Organization. In addition, it strengthens the confidence of industry, public authorities, and consumers in accreditation under national systems, which form the basis for international trade agreements.
