Accreditation means that certification and inspection bodies have been assessed against recognized standards to demonstrate their competence, impartiality and capability.
In order to ensure equally high standards of certification across Europe, the European Commission for Enterprise and Industry set out a European-wide policy for accreditation.
UKAS has therefore been appointed by statutory instrument providing, for the first time, a legal basis for its role.
The accreditation Regulations 2009 (Statutory Instrument No 3155/2009) making the appointment were signed on 30 November 2009 by Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, and announced in a Written Statement to Parliament.
In the statement, Lord Drayson said: “The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has a long standing and effective relationship with UKAS that both parties value highly.