ENAC takes part in the project promoted by the German Federal Material and Testing Research Institute (BAM, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und Prüfung), in collaboration with the German Accreditation Agency, DAkkS, together with accreditation bodies from the United Kingdom, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria and Sweden. This project aims to identify best practices in the accreditation sector by means of comparative studies of different European accreditation bodies. The ultimate objective is to better harmonise the various national European accreditation bodies’ accreditation systems.

On 16th and 17th October, a workshop was held for participants to compare data and processes arising from the first results of the study, as well as to analyse the most significant changes that had taken place in the accreditation bodies taking part in the study.

Issues analysed in each organisation include quality management, risk and information management, data protection systems, use of new accreditation schemes, information technology, human resource management and training, and so on.

This comparative study is based on the European Foundation for Quality Management’s (EFQM) model of business excellence.