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IEC Conformity Assessment Schemes: the situation on the ground

JOHNSTON: Over the past few years we have been aware of a few misunderstandings about the whole question of the IEC schemes, both within the IEC community and for external audiences. Although there were pressures from outside that we should be opening up our schemes, when we analyzed the situation we found the schemes were already quite open, much more open than people had imagined. Certainly, the statement that any manufacturer in the world can have access to the schemes is just about as open as you can get. As a manufacturer or supplier, you are free to go to any certification body within the schemes to get your products certified. The rules of the schemes require all other members to recognize those certificates.

I think we surprised ourselves when we examined how many countries already do recognize the schemes. The term "autonomous recognition" (see below) was developed outside of the IEC and we found that some non-member countries are very happy to accept the CB Test Certificate (from the IECEE Scheme) as evidence of conformity to standards that they recognize.

It is also interesting that, in terms of international standards, many non-member countries are inclined to accept IEC standards as they are without deviation. The IEC members are the likely ones to include the odd differences.

Once you start getting into the management and control of the operation you need to be in a country where there is a line of responsibility to the schemes of the IEC and for that reason it hasn’t been fully opened up. But that is something we are reassessing.

I don’t want to say too much at this stage but we are looking at ways of accommodating them.

The CAB's policy is not to pursue expansion for the sake of expansion, but our objective is rather to remove barriers. We believe that any scheme should only be expanded into areas where there are existing national schemes that are causing barriers. If there is no national scheme, then there is no barrier.

Having said that there are plenty of areas the schemes are looking at – the IECEE is moving into the EMC field slowly and the IECQ is moving into photovoltaics and avionics. I tend to view the scheme on a functional basis. We have a set of rules which work well and depending on where these this new area needs to be developed we can slot it into one of those schemes. We are not totally bound to this thinking, however, and we are considering alternative structures in two areas – wind turbines and photovoltaics.

The Masterplan makes it very clear that conformity assessment is a very important supporting function to standardization. The role within the IEC is growing very much – and I sense that the world is turning towards the way the IEC is doing things. We have long-established schemes that really work.

The Masterplan also raises the concept of putting an IEC mark on a product that conforms with one or other of our schemes. Industry looks at the success of the CB Scheme and would like to see the next step taken. They would like to see how the IEC schemes could be used as a means of reducing the proliferation of other marks. 

IEC Conformity Assessment Schemes: open, but opening further

Five main points summarize the situation today as it pertains to the IECEE , IECQ, and IECEx:

Autonomous recognition: Any country or organization may recognize certificates or approvals of any of the three IEC conformity assessment schemes. Non-IEC member countries practising autonomous recognition cannot influence the IEC standards on which their acceptances are based, nor can they influence the management of the schemes.

Recognizing countries: IEC members not wishing to provide certification or approval services, but wishing to recognize the different schemes, may join their management committees and thus have a say in running them.

Access by suppliers: Any supplier anywhere in the world may apply to have products or services certified or approved under the appropriate IEC schemes. A supplier may choose any one of the schemes’ participating organizations, which need not be in the same country as the supplier. Surveillance audits may increase costs to suppliers in non-participating countries. The IECEE-CB Scheme imposes a surcharge of CHF150 on certificates issued for products manufactured in non-member countries. In the IECEx scheme, the surcharge is CHF 2500.

Testing laboratories and inspection agencies (IECQ only): Limited to participating countries (IEC members) and more than one testing laboratory or inspection agency per country is allowed. Each IECQ participating country may designate its geographical area of operation, which is not limited to its own national borders. National Certification Bodies of IECEE schemes may have CB testing laboratories located anywhere in the world (note: this is still under consideration).

National certifying/supervisory bodies (IECQ only): Limited to participating countries (IEC members). More than one body per scheme in a country is allowed, although each participating country has only one vote in the management committees of the schemes in which it participates.

What is Conformity Assessment?

The IEC’s multilateral conformity assessment schemes, based on its international standards reduce trade barriers caused by different certification criteria in different countries and help industry to open up new markets. Removing the significant delays and costs of multiple testing and approval allows industry to be faster and cheaper to market with its products.

As technology becomes more complex, users and consumers are becoming more aware of their dependence on products whose design and construction they may not understand. In this situation, reassurance is needed that the product is reliable and will meet expectations in terms of performance, safety, durability and other criteria.

The IEC's Conformity Assessment and product certification schemes provide the industrial user and the final consumer with the reassurance that the product they buy conforms to the criteria of an IEC standard.

Using IEC standards and the CA Schemes for certification at the national level ensures that a certified product has been manufactured and type-tested to well established international standards. The end user can be sure that the product meets these standards, and need not be concerned with further testing or evaluation of the product.

Last updated: 2001-10-19