1. This Agreement is based on the results of evaluations carried
out in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures of
the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
2. The parties to this Agreement are the accreditation bodies on
whose behalf the Agreement has been signed (the
"participating bodies", collectively the "MLA Group").
3. Each participating body shall agree to abide by the terms and
conditions of the MLA.
Each participating body shall:
(i) maintain conformance with ISO/IEC Guide 61, and related IAF
guidance documents;
(ii) ensure that all accredited bodies comply with ISO/IEC Guide
62 or ISO/IE Guide 65, as appropriate, and related IAF
guidance documents.
4. On the basis of the perceived equivalence of the systems for
the accreditation of management system bodies and/or product
certification bodies (hereinafter referred to as "systems")
operated by the participating bodies, each participating body
will:
(i) recognize the operation of the other systems - within the
programs as defined in this Agreement - as equivalent to its
own;
(ii) recommend and promote the acceptance of the certificates of
conformity or certificates of competence within the
recognized scopes from the bodies accredited by the
participating bodies as being on an equal basis with those
of its own accredited bodies.
5. Each participating body shall:
(i) investigate all complaints initiated by a participating body
resulting fro certificates of conformity or certificates of
competence issued by the bodies it has accredited within its
accreditation programs;
(ii) notify all other participating bodies as soon as possible
of any significant changes that have occurred or will occur
in its status, in the operational practices of its system
or in its accreditation programs;
(iii) contribute as appropriate to the work of the MLA Group;
(iv) participate as appropriate in the meetings of the working
group(s) of the MLA Group;
(v) provide auditors/assessors for the evaluation, re-evaluation
and surveillance to the accreditation programs of the MLA
Group members and applicants;
(vi) co-operate with other accreditation bodies so that the MLA
may be extended;
(vii) use all information in a confidential and professional
manner.
6. If, in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures, it
is agreed that an additional accreditation body that operates
a system may participate in the Agreement, an MLA Signature
Sheet shall be signed by the ne accreditation body and duly
authorized by the IAF Chair. The ne signatory shall be added
to the list in Annex A of this Agreement. The same procedure
shall be followed if it is agreed that a participant to the
Agreement may extend its accreditation programs.
7. If a participating body wishes to wi thdraw from this
Agreement or withdra parts of its accreditation program for
any reason whatsoever, that body shall notify the other
participating bodies to this Agreement in writing through the
MLA Management Committee not later than three months in
advance of withdrawing. Upon withdrawal of a body or changing
the extent of its accreditation programs, that body's MLA
Signature Sheet shall be obsoleted and the list in Annex A
revised accordingly.
8. Any amendment of the text of this Multilateral Recognition
Agreement shall be made in accordance with the MLA Group
rules of procedure.
9. This Agreement consists of ten (10) Clauses plus an Annex
listing each participating body, along with the extent of its
accreditation programs.
10. This Agreement came into force on: 22 January 1998


INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION FORUM
Annex A
Areas of accreditation activity of participating bodies:
(1) products
(2) quality systems
(3) environmental management systems

Signatories to the IAF MLA, with areas of accreditation activity
:

___________________________________________________
Date (Signature)
N (ame), IAF Chair


This text is extracted from Document IAF 96-041 (Rev)