National Accreditation Bureau of Latvia

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION SYSTEM IN LATVIA

Olga Veilande,Head of LATAK

Latvian National Accreditation System consists of:

Latvian National Accreditation institution LATAK;

Latvian National Accreditation Council;

Branch Technical committees for accreditation.

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION SYSTEM IN LATVIA

To maintain a unified and internationally recognized national accreditation system in

Latvia, in accordance with European and international standards, as well as provide

an international recognition of results issued by bodies accredited by Latvian National Accreditation Bureau LATAK

Mission of LATAK

to assess, accredit and supervise certification and inspection bodies and testing and calibration laboratories and environmental verifiers in accordance with the requirements of Latvian National standards, normative acts, European and international standards;

To organize proficiency testing and co-ordinate interlaboratory comparison in accordance with the local and international requirements;

To co-operate with other National accreditation bodies; To represent Latvia in international accreditation

organizations; To maintain and update data base on accredited bodies.

Key Functions of LATAK

The Latvian National Accreditation Council is a consultative advisory body for the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories and certification and inspection bodies and environmental verifiers in the regulated and non-regulated area.

Latvian National Accreditation Council

Main functions of the Council are as follows:

◦ to participate in the drawing up of the State policy on the

accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories, certification

and inspection bodies and environmental verifiers and supervision

of their operation in line with the requirements of normative acts;

◦ to participate in the formulation and assessment of regulatory

instruments and accreditation procedures for the Latvian National

Accreditation System;

◦ to promote the co-operation with international and foreign

accreditation bodies.

Latvian National Accreditation Council

representatives of the State interest: ◦Ministry of Economics; ◦Ministry of Transport; ◦Ministry of Health; ◦Ministry of Environment; ◦Ministry of Agriculture

representatives of the interest of accreditation bodies: ◦ Latvian National Accreditation Bureau;◦ Latvian National Metrology Institute; ◦ Latvian Standard.

Latvian National Accreditation Council (1)

representatives of the interest of clients of conformity assessment bodies:

◦ Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; ◦ Latvian Employers Confederation;

representative of interest of consumers:

◦Consumer Rights Protection Centre.

Latvian National Accreditation Council (2)

LATAK has established the following Accreditation Branch Technical Committees:

◦ ABTC for testing laboratories;

◦ ABTC for calibration and verification;

◦ ABTC for certification;

◦ ABTC for inspection.

Accreditation Branch Technical Committees

EA MLA

EA Multilateral Agreement (EA MLA) in the following fields:

accreditation of testing laboratories; accreditation of calibration laboratories; accreditation of product certification bodies; accreditation of quality system certification

bodies; accreditation of personnel certification bodies; accreditation of inspection bodies.

Participation in the EA committees;

EC FALB;

EC/OECD GLP;

Cooperation with other Accreditation bodies.

International activities of LATAK

Accreditation as a tool for notification

• The Ministry of Economics notify the European Commission regarding the authorised conformity assessment bodies, which act in accordance with the specified requirements of conformity assessment in the regulated sphere;

• The accreditation according to EN 45000 and 17000 standard series are provided by the National Accreditation institution;

• The same procedure for authorisation of comformity assessment bodies at the national level.