After a period of 22 months, the Twinning project between the European Union (EU) and the National Accreditation Body of Armenia (ARMNAB) has been successfully completed. Under the leadership of the German accreditation body Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS), ARMNAB was prepared for the EA recognition process on the basis of international standards and in accordance with the EU regulatory framework.
The goal of the Twinning project “Setting conditions for recognition of the Armenian accreditation system by the European co-operation for Accreditation” was to establish the conditions for recognition of the Armenian accreditation system by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). A particular focus was on meeting the objectives set out in the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the European Union and Armenia. The project was implemented together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate action (BMWK) and the Italian accreditation body ACCREDIA.
Nearly 2 years of intensive cooperation
The most important project activity in the first component was the harmonisation of the legal and procedural framework for accreditation with regard to ISO/IEC 17011 and the provisions of EU Regulation 765/2008/EC. Another focus was on preparation of the application documents for EA recognition.
In the second project component, the technical competences of ARMNAB assessors and staff were strengthened and the procedural documentation was revised. Key milestones of the project were three simulations of EA evaluations, which were conducted at the beginning, at the midpoint and at the end of the project.
All told, 44 assignments were completed by the more than 30 experts from DAkkS and ACCREDIA involved, focusing in particular on legal advice, training of staff and assessors and revision of the quality management system in accordance with the requirements of the international and European accreditation organisations IAF, ILAC and EA.
Participants in the final conference on 28 March 2023 in Yerevan included EU Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan, German Ambassador Viktor Richter, Italian Ambassador Alfonso Di Riso, Maria Schäfer from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Dr. Thomas Facklam in his capacity as Twinning Project Leader and Ani Obosyan, Director of ARMNAB.
In a panel discussion held during the second part of the conference, Dr. Andreas Hönnerscheid (DAkkS), Maria Papatzikou (ESYD and EA MAC Chair), Emanuele Riva (ACCREDIA), Zhanna Zakaryan (Armenian Ministry of Economy) and Dr. Thomas Facklam explained the advantages of EA recognition for Armenia. The panel discussion was moderated by Miklós Devecz, long-term advisor of the Twinning project.
Twinning projects with DAkkS participation
DAkkS has been involved in various Twinning projects since 2012. These include projects in Armenia, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Jordan, Ukraine and Namibia.
