Memorandum China
1. What are the actors in the
Chinese conformity assessment system?
China
National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (hereinafter referred
to as CNAS) is the national accreditation body of China unitarily responsible
for the accreditation of certification bodies, laboratories and inspection
bodies, which is established under the approval of the Certification and Accreditation
Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) and authorized by CNCA
in accordance with the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on
Certification and Accreditation.
The
organizational structure of CNAS includes: the Board, Executive Committee, Technical
Committee on Certification Body Accreditation, Technical Committee on
Laboratory Accreditation, Technical Committee on Inspection Body Accreditation,
Appraisal Committee, Appeal Committee, End-user Committee and Secretariat.
Other special committees may also be established if necessary.
2. Who is influencing the conformity?
1) The
Technical Committee on Certification Body Accreditation, Technical Committee on
Laboratory Accreditation and Technical Committee on Inspection Body Accreditation;
The Technical Committee on
Certification Body Accreditation, Technical Committeeon Laboratory
Accreditation and Technical Committee on Inspection Body Accreditationare
responsible for reviewing the public available documents in
correspondingaccreditation fields such as the application guidance or
explanations for accreditationrules or criteria, providing technical direction
to the implementation of correspondingaccreditation rules, criteria and
guidance documents, and providing relevantrecommendations to the Board.
They aremainly constituted by
representatives of interested parties in line with the principle
ofimpartiality.When needed, the Technical Committee on Certification Body
Accreditation, theTechnical Committee on Laboratory Accreditation and the
Technical Committee forInspection Body Accreditation could establish
specialized committees for technicalprojects in the corresponding field.
2) The
Appraisal Committee, The Appeal Committee, End-user Committee;
The Appraisal Committee is
responsible for reviewing the conclusions ofaccreditation assessments and
related information against the requirements ofaccreditation rules and criteria
etc., and recommending for decisions on granting,extending, reducing,
suspending or withdrawing accreditation.
The Appeal Committee is
responsible for investigating the appeals in accreditationand make decisions
on the appeals.
The End-user Committee is
responsible for suggesting or complaining to CNAS andfeedback information
about the results of conformity assessment.
The Appraisal Committee, Appeal
Committee and End-user Committee are specialoperation mechanisms established
under approval of the Board. They are constitutedby associated personnel.
3) Other
special committees;
Other special committees may also
be established by the approval of the Board orExecutive Committee according to
the operational needs.
4) The
Secretariat.
The Secretariat is the standing
executive body of CNAS. The Secretariat is responsible for the routine
operation of CNAS, and assumeslegal liabilities for the operation of CNAS. Its
responsibilities include:
a)
To
accept the applications for accreditation, arrange accreditation
assessments,issue accreditation certificates and carry out post-accreditation
surveillanceactivities;
b)
To
accept the appeals and handle the complaints in accreditation;
c)
To
carry out other activities related to accreditation.
3. Who is making the decision of it?
1)
The Board;
The Board is the supreme authority
of CNAS, and assumes the overall responsibility for making decisions on
accreditation.
The CNAS Board is composed of the
members from 64 organizations representing 5 interested parties e.g.
government, conformity assessment bodies, clients of conformity assessment
service, users of conformity assessment and technical experts.The composition
of the Board shall ensure the balance of interests with no single party
predominating.The Board has one Chairman, one Executive Vice Chairman and
several ViceChairmen, who are elected by the Board with an office term of 4
years.
The member composition of the
Board is approved by CNCA. The Board membersare nominated by the member
organizations with an office term of 4 years.The Board meets in session at
least once a year. The quorum of the session is atleast two thirds of the Board
members. It shall be ensured that all interested parties arepresented. Any
resolution passed at the session shall be agreed by a simple majority ofthe
presenting members.
2) The
Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee is a body
inside the Board. It carries out duties authorized by the Board during its
adjournment.When the Board is not in session, the Executive Committee carries
out the dutiesand responsibilities delegated by the Board.
The Executive Committee is
composed of the Chairman, the Executive ViceChairman and the Vice Chairmen of
the Board and the Chief Executive, with an officeterm of 4 years.The Chairman
of the Board is the Chairman of the Executive Committee, theExecutive Vice Chairman
of the Board is the Vice Chairman of the ExecutiveCommittee, and the Vice
Chairmen of the Board and the Chief Executive are themembers of the Executive
Committee.
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