9. Conclusion

Accreditation is, and must remain, a technical assessment system set up to support industry in its international trade, at the initiative of national metrology institutes in the field of calibration laboratories.

Over the years, national and European public authorities have increased their confidence in the accreditation systems in place, and are becoming increasingly involved in accreditation processes, both in terms of the time they devote to the various national and European bodies, and in terms of financial support. Once the government becomes an association's main financial source, it is naturally in a position to exert pressure on the association's decision-making process, which is one of the risks of deviation in the years to come, a risk that accreditors must learn to compensate for.

Traceability to the international system of units...