ILAC G7:02/2016 – Accreditation Requirements and Operating Criteria for Horseracing Laboratories has been published and is available here.

The purpose of this document is to provide: Part A: A compilation of test-method-related requirements for horseracing laboratories that accreditation bodies have submitted. Part B: Recommendations for establishing the presence of prohibited substances that have been agreed within the horseracing industry. Part C: Additional recommendations on compliance with an appropriate performance specification, and the adoption of harmonised definitions for terms commonly used by racing chemists.

International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), Switzerland, is welcomed as a Stakeholder member of ILAC.

We welcome ISTA and look forward to working with our ISTA colleagues.

The signatory status of Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLAB) has been extended to include Inspection.

The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from  “here“

The activities of the Hungarian Accreditation Board (NAT) were terminated on 31 December 2015 by decree of the Hungarian Government. As such the signatory status of NAT to the ILAC MRA and NAT’s membership of ILAC have therefore been withdrawn. Additional information on the recognition of accreditation in Hungary is available from the EA website at http://www.european-accreditation.org/information/change-in-the-hungarian-accreditation-system

The signatory status of National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) has been extended to include medical testing (ISO 15189).

The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from  “here“

The signatory status of KCA, The Kyrgyz Center of Accreditation (The Kyrgyz Republic), to the ILAC MRA for the accreditation of testing laboratories using ISO/IEC 17025 was suspended on 4 November 2015.  This suspension is a result of the decision taken at the 15th Meeting of the ILAC Arrangement Council held on 4 November 2015.

The following brochures have been revised by the ILAC Marketing and Communications Committee (MCC) and the latest versions are now available:- 

Why Use An Accredited Laboratory? 
How Does Using an Accredited Laboratory Benefit Government & Regulators?
The Advantages of Being Accredited
The ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement

As part of this review process, the following brochure has been withdrawn:-

Why Become An Accredited Laboratory?

Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS), is now a Full Member of ILAC.

SADCAS has become a signatory to the ILAC MRA for testing (ISO/IEC 17025) and calibration (ISO/IEC 17025).  SADCAS originally joined ILAC as an Affiliate Member in 2008 and as an Associate Member in 2011, and we are now pleased to welcome SADCAS as a Full Member of ILAC.

The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available here.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade agreement, released on November 5^th 2015, between twelve Pacific Rim countries. The agreement’s goal is to promote economic growth; support the creation and retention of jobs; enhance innovation, productivity and competitiveness; raise living standards; promote transparency, good governance, and enhanced labour and environmental protections. 

Accreditation, recognised by existing regional and international mutual recognition Arrangements (the ILAC MRA and IAF MLA), is referenced as being a key measure to support trade through the removal of technical barriers.

The twelve Pacific-rim countries include New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Singapore, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Vietnam, Mexico and the USA.

Click to access the agreement’s table of contents.
http://dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/tpp/official-documents/Pages/official-documents.aspx

Access the chapter that refers to Technical Barriers to Trade.
http://dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/tpp/official-documents/Documents/ch8-technical-barriers-to-trade.pdf

The adopted resolutions from the ILAC General Assembly held on 4 and 6 November 2015, as part of the successful ILAC and IAF annual meetings hosted by ACCREDIA in Milan, Italy, from 28 October to 6 November 2015, are available here.