FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2004-08-16

SCC one of the First Signatories to Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA)

OTTAWA – The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is pleased to announce that it is one of the first signatories to the multilateral recognition arrangement (MLA) for the accreditation of Product Certification Bodies (CBs) with the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC). The agreement, signed on July 9, 2004 in Seoul, Korea, serves to increase confidence and facilitate the recognition of CB programs between signatories.

“The product MLA will lead to reduced trade barriers between peer economies and increase trade opportunities for Canadian companies,” said Elva Nilsen, Vice Chair of PAC and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Trade at the SCC, “By virtue of the MLA, certificates of conformity from one economy may be recognized in other economies who are MLA signatories, thus reducing or eliminating the need for multiple audits of the same facility or testing of the same product.”

The SCC's accreditation program for Product Certification Bodies verifies and formally recognizes a CB's competence to make certification decisions in areas covered by its scopes of accreditation.  It also provides assurance that the CB is capable of delivering services of a consistent quality.

Under the agreement, participating accreditation bodies will recognize the Standards Council's Program as equivalent to their own.

The Pacific Accreditation Cooperation is an association of accreditation bodies and other interested parties that are established and operate in the member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. It facilitates trade among APEC economies within the global recognition system of conformity assessment programs.

The Standards Council of Canada is a Crown corporation which promotes efficient and effective voluntary standardization. It is Canada's representative at the International Organization for Standardization and the International Accreditation Forum. For more information on the Standards Council's accreditation programs visit www.scc.ca, or contact the Standards Council's Conformity Assessment Branch via e mail at [email protected].

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