Accreditation

Definition (1)
Source
(EN ISO/IEC 17000)
Description
"Third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body (CAB), conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks".
Definition (2)
Source
CEN
Description
Accreditation is certification of conformity assessment bodies.
Accreditation is the last level of control.

Definition (3)
Source
ISO/IEC Guide 2 - "General terms and their definitions concerning standardization and related activities"
Description
Procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks.
Definition (4)
Source
Henk de Vries, 1999. Standards for the Nation: Analysis of National Standardization Organizations. Kluver Academic Publishers, 1999.
Description
To assure that the testing and calibration laboratories, and certification bodies, meet standards set for them, accreditation is necessary. Usually, accreditation bodies are independent agencies, often with governamental support. Generally, such an accreditation body is outside the NSO, although the latter often plays a leading role in setting up such a body. In, for instance, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Thailand, Tunisia and Zambia, the NSO performs this activity.

Definition (1)
Source	(EN ISO/IEC 17000)
Description	"Third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body (CAB), conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks".
Definition (2)
Source	CEN
Description	Accreditation is certification of conformity assessment bodies. Accreditation is the last level of control.
Definition (3)
Source	ISO/IEC Guide 2 - "General terms and their definitions concerning standardization and related activities"
Description	Procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks.
Definition (4)
Source	Henk de Vries, 1999. Standards for the Nation: Analysis of National Standardization Organizations. Kluver Academic Publishers, 1999.
Description	To assure that the testing and calibration laboratories, and certification bodies, meet standards set for them, accreditation is necessary. Usually, accreditation bodies are independent agencies, often with governamental support. Generally, such an accreditation body is outside the NSO, although the latter often plays a leading role in setting up such a body. In, for instance, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Thailand, Tunisia and Zambia, the NSO performs this activity.

See also: