Every four years, German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) is evaluated by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA), the umbrella organisation for national accreditation bodies in Europe. In this interview, Dr. Andreas Hönnerscheid, Head of Quality Management at DAkkS, explains the process of such an EA evaluation, how DAkkS prepares for it and why this system is essential for maintaining trust in accreditation.

The next EA peer evaluation of DAkkS is scheduled to take place in a few weeks' time. What exactly does the evaluation involve?

Dr. Andreas Hönnerscheid: DAkkS has a statutory mandate to assess the work of conformity assessment bodies. We are therefore often asked: “Who actually assesses the work of DAkkS?” This is done through a process known as peer evaluation, whereby peers assess one another's work. This evaluation takes place every four years and is conducted worldwide in accordance with uniform principles. Peer evaluations are organised by EA, the European umbrella organisation.

In practical terms, ahead of our upcoming peer evaluation, a team of 14 evaluators from various EA member accreditation bodies, will visit the DAkkS office in Berlin from 14 to 18 September 2026. The evaluators will also observe several DAkkS assessments throughout Germany.

The aim of the evaluation is to verify whether we meet the requirements applicable to accreditation bodies. These requirements are essentially derived from the DIN EN ISO/IEC 17011 standard. In addition, however, we must also comply with further statutory requirements as well as those of the international organisations EA and GLOBAL ACI.  

What is the reason for the regular evaluation of national accreditation bodies? And why is this system of peer evaluation so important for the economy, public authorities, and consumers?

As a national accreditation body, we provide the service of ‘trust’. Trust in our work, in the work of our accredited conformity assessment bodies and, above all, trust in the results issued by these bodies under the accreditation scheme. This trust ensures product safety, thereby protecting consumers and the environment.

All market participants rely on the accreditation system. In order to deserve the trust placed in it by all stakeholders, the system must be implemented consistently and uniformly across the globe. The EA’s peer evaluation process ensures this.

For DAkkS, successful assessment by the EA is essential to maintain its status as a signatory to the EA Multilateral Agreement (EA MLA). This mutual recognition agreement ensures that certificates and test reports issued by accredited bodies are recognised internationally, within the scope of their respective accreditation. It helps to remove trade barriers and facilitates international trade in Europe and worldwide. For Germany, an exporting nation, this is a key factor in its economic success.

How does the EA evaluation actually work?

During the evaluation week, the evaluation team takes random samples for each accreditation activity. Each sample is carefully checked to ensure that DAkkS complies with all requirements.

The two main pillars of this process are witnessing and file review. During witnessing, evaluators observe specific assessments carried out by our assessors at our conformity assessment bodies. The evaluators do not interfere with these assessments in any way. The aim is to observe how DAkkS carries out the essential core element of accreditation – the assessment – in practice.

During the file review, records relating to individual accreditation procedures are examined and assessed in collaboration with relevant staff members. Key aspects of this process include risk-based assessment planning and planning the assessment programme within the accreditation cycle.

Preparations are already well underway. So, how is DAkkS preparing for such an evaluation?

The preparations are essentially of an organisational nature. One of the major challenges, for example, is organising the assessments that the evaluators will carry out.

In terms of content, there is no need to prepare specifically for the evaluation, since it is our day-to-day work that will be assessed.

Is an EA evaluation a form of control or an opportunity for further development?

Both are true. First and foremost, this is an assessment in which we must demonstrate that we meet applicable requirements. In that respect, we are in an audit situation. Any non-compliant issues are documented as non-conformities. These issues can be used as a valuable source for our own continuous improvement.

Furthermore, the evaluators are people who carry out the same work as our staff within their respective accreditation bodies. Overall, the dialogue with them provides us with valuable insights, regardless of any possible differences.

What happens once the EA peer evaluation is finished?

The steps following the on-site evaluation are very similar to those following an assessment by DAkkS. Once the results – the findings (non-conformities and comments) – have been established, DAkkS carries out an analysis of the causes and extent of the issues.

Corrective actions are then defined, implemented and demonstrated to the evaluation team where necessary.

Once the findings have been resolved, the EA team’s final report is submitted to the EA Multilateral Agreement Council (MAC). The MAC Task Force then evaluates the report and draws up a proposal for a decision.

Finally, the decision is taken by the EA MAC Management Group (online ballot or in person). Experience shows that the evaluation is usually completed within a year.

What are the implications of the EA evaluation for DAkkS-accredited conformity assessment bodies?

For clients of DAkkS, successfully completing the peer evaluation provides official proof that they can trust the work of DAkkS, particularly with regard to the recognition of their activities under the accreditation.

If any non-conformities are identified during the evaluation process, we may need to take action. We cannot predict whether this will happen, what measures might be taken, or how these might affect our customers.

We will, of course, provide detailed information on the outcome of the evaluation and everything related to it at a later date.

Thank you very much for the interview!