3. What is the relationship with the accreditation body?

Accreditation bodies (also known as "accreditors") are national organizations in charge of accreditation for a country, so you can't choose which one you want (CoFRAC for France, for example). These bodies are often criticized for not being subject to competition. However, their non-profit status (association loi 1901 for CoFRAC) puts them at the top of the conformity assessment pyramid, guaranteeing independence, impartiality, transparency and confidentiality every day. What's more, they open up new areas for accreditation every week to meet the needs of non-commercial laboratories.

When a laboratory wishes to become accredited, the first step is to contact the accreditation body in its country. The accreditation body will ensure that accreditation for the requested field is possible, and will propose a draft scope of accreditation, a provisional assessment date...