1 Accreditor’s View of the Value of MRAs: the APLAC View Helen Liddy APLAC Secretary

NCSLI 2 7 August 2002 ILAC Global Arrangement Signed November 2000 –37 signatories; 28 economies Relies on regional MRAs, eg APLAC, EA Now 42 signatories Enhances acceptance of test data across national borders Reduces technical barriers to trade

NCSLI 3 7 August 2002 ILAC Global Arrangement Applicant must demonstrate compliance with ISO/IEC Guide 58 Compliance evaluated by multi-national team ILAC P1; regional documents, eg APLAC MR 001 Proficiency testing a vital component

NCSLI 4 7 August 2002 CIPM Global MRA Key comparisons Quality system compliant with ISO/IEC –self-declaration –3rd party accreditation

NCSLI 5 7 August 2002 ILAC & CIPM MOU Signed November 2001 Strengthen links between accreditation and metrology Appropriate cross-references to each other’s MRA Promote cooperation at the regional level, eg APLAC and APMP

NCSLI 6 7 August 2002 ABs and the CIPM MRA ABs require laboratories to demonstrate traceability to SI units Traceability may be to foreign NMI Evaluation team examines metrological infrastructure Some NMIs choose to be accredited by domestic AB, eg Australia’s NML is accredited by NATA

NCSLI 7 7 August 2002 APLAC Initiated in 1992 MOU signed 1995 Inaugural signing of MRA of 27 APLAC members now signatories to APLAC MRA Membership mirrors APEC (except Chile, Peru, Russia) plus India

NCSLI 8 7 August 2002 APLAC’s Role Develop laboratory accreditation procedures and practices in APEC region Recognise competent test and calibration laboratories and inspection bodies in APEC region Promote laboratory accreditation as a trade facilitation tool Ensure acceptance of test and calibration reports within signatory economies

NCSLI 9 7 August 2002 Acceptance of Test and Calibration Data Demands mutual confidence in technical competence of accredited laboratories Confidence cannot be legislated Confidence must be demonstrated

NCSLI 10 7 August 2002 APLAC and APEC APLAC one of 5 Specialist Regional Bodies (SRBs) recognised by APEC SCSC Other SRBs: APMP, APLMF, PAC, PASC APLAC guest at the APEC SCSC meetings APLAC has seat on APEC TEL MRA Task Group; provided initial sponsorship of APEC TEL MRAMS web site

NCSLI 11 7 August 2002 APLAC and APEC APLAC MRA in the voluntary sector APEC MRAs in regulated sector can use APLAC MRA to support data related to regulated product APEC MRAs: telecoms, electrical safety, food, IT

NCSLI 12 7 August 2002 Promotion to Regulators Funded by Australian government Undertaken by APLAC Secretary and Immediate Past Chair of APLAC People’s Republic of China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Canada and USA

NCSLI 13 7 August 2002 Promotion to Regulators Identify regulatory areas that could use APLAC MRA for acceptance of data Brief regulators on APLAC Seek adoption of APLAC MRA as preferred mode or agreed option for acceptance of test and calibration data Identify and resolve any concerns of regulators about use of APLAC MRA

NCSLI 14 7 August 2002 Promotion to Regulators No fundamental objection by regulators to concept of voluntary sector MRAs to support regulatory sector MRAs Varying levels of acceptance of this concept Necessary to emphasise regulatory function would remain Necessary to emphasise accreditation against importing economy’s regs

NCSLI 15 7 August 2002 Regulator Concerns Need for more specific definition of scope of recognition of individual MRA signatories Need for MRA evaluations to place more emphasis on areas of interest to regulators and trade flows Need to ensure an AB’s technical assessors competent to assess against foreign regulations

NCSLI 16 7 August 2002 Regulator Concerns Need for more targeted proficiency testing programs in areas of interest to regulators and trade Need for increased transparency in publishing results of proficiency testing programs May be need for interpretative guidelines to assist ABs in assessing compliance with foreign regulations

NCSLI 17 7 August 2002 APLAC Response to Study Report Increased emphasis on APEC MRAs and trade flows when planning APLAC proficiency testing programs Technical meetings with regulators, eg APEC TEL 23 in march 2001; APEC TILF support sought to help fund meetings Publicising success stories on regulator acceptance: APLAC web site Funding Australian regulator to present paper at ILAC on use of accreditation

NCSLI 18 7 August 2002 Conclusions Voluntary sector MRAs not end in themselves Important trade facilitation tool Dialogue between regulators and voluntary MRA sector critical Confidence cannot be legislated APLAC must demonstrate why regulators can have confidence

NCSLI 19 7 August 2002 Conclusion Thank you APLAC web site: