UKAS has signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding with the UK government through the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This MoU, updated following the UK’s full exit from the European Union, establishes the method it will use to work to maintain and promote a strong national accreditation service in the United Kingdom.
BEIS has appointed UKAS as the sole national accreditation body for the UK via The Accreditation Regulations 2009 (Statutory Instrument: 2009/3155), which remain current
Where testing, inspection, or certification is required to demonstrate compliance with national legislation or guidance, or any similar rules or recommendations of any international institutions, the UK government will specify the use of laboratories, inspection bodies, or certification bodies accredited by UKAS. In line with UKAS’ appointment as the sole national accreditation body for the UK pursuant to the Accreditation Regulations 2009, the Secretary of State will only recognize accreditation of UK conformity assessment bodies (CABs) by UKAS in the voluntary and mandatory sectors.
Both the UK government and UKAS support the need to work closely together to provide effective, efficient accreditation in the UK; to work together collaboratively to create confidence in the products and services we all rely upon and that accredited conformity assessment underpins.
In signing this MoU, Matt Gantley, UKAS CEO, said: “This memorandum is a critical part of the UK Quality Infrastructure ensuring the quality and rigor of conformity assessment within the UK, and its support of current and future trade deals that the UK enters into. We fully understand the responsibility that this places on UKAS and are committed to continually raising standards and creating confidence in accredited conformity assessment.”
