THE CONCEPT OF ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION (REGISTRATION) OF QUALITY SYSTEMS TO ISO-9000 IN THE EUROPEAN-COMMUNITY

On January 1, 1993, the European Community became the second most powe rful economy in the world and the largest trade partner with the U.S. The free movements of products and services within the EC countries is contingent on compliance with recognized quality standards. Often the means by which compliance is demonstrated is left to the manufacturer . A means of demonstrating the necessary quality recommended by the EC commission is implementation of modern quality management principles as specified by the International Standards Organization (ISO) Standar ds Series 9000, Quality Management Systems standards. Furthermore, the commission recommends that the companies consider having their qualit y systems certified (registered) to comply with ISO 9000, To help the market assure confidence in the certification (registration) process, several EC countries adopted schemes for accreditation of certifying b odies. Accreditation is the authorities' recognition of the certified body's independence, integrity, and technical competence. This paper d escribes the ISO 9000 system and the accredited certification process from the point of view of an accredited certifying body, also referred to as an Accredited Registrar.