Impartiality Statement

Eurocert understands the importance of impartiality and potential conflicts of interests in carrying out its management systems certification activities. Eurocert has a compliance program, based on its Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct, to ensure that the highest standards of integrity are applied to all its activities worldwide in accordance with international best practice. Details of this program can be found at http://www.isoindia.org/iso_Code_of_Integrity_and_Professional_Conduct.php

Within Eurocert we conduct risk assessment annually and where required in relation to specific activities or contracts on impartiality and potential conflict of interest relating to Accredited Certification business this is reviewed by the impartiality committee of the Accredited Certification Body, which is an independent committee made up of members representing our key interests.

Impartiality is a key component of our business ethics Eurocert provides an objective and balanced certification auditing service. Impartiality is a key component of our business ethics, Eurocert is acronym of Transparent, Neutral and Veritas and this is intended to ensure impartial in our assessment and certification services which add value to the business to demonstrate increased trust to business, government and society. Eurocert adhere to transparent procedures based on ISO 17021 and other MSS specific standards like ISO 22003, ISO 27006 and requirement of accreditation board, which contain built-in checks to manage and regulate the services we provide to all clients.

The top management of Eurocert is fully committed to impartiality in management system certification activities. The Eurocert Impartiality Policy has a publicly available statement along with Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct that it understands the importance of impartiality in carrying out its management system certification activities, manages conflict of interest and ensures the objectivity of its management system certification activities.

Top Management of the Eurocert (herein and after referred as Eurocert) hereby declares that Eurocert shall comply with the requirements of ISO 17021 and ensure impartiality for all its personal related to the certification activities & within all its certification activities of ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, OHSAS 18001:2007 & ISO 22000:2005 and other certification carrying on by the Eurocert from time to time. The Transparency, confidentiality, independence and impartiality of the certification activities by and on behalf of Eurocert shall not be affected by the activities of the certified clients or any personal related to.

Threats that arise from an individual or organisation acting in the interest of Eurocert. One potential threat to certification impartiality is financial self-interest and Eurocert ensures that financial ambition or burden must not be affect impartiality of the Eurocert’s MS Certification activities.

threats that arise from a person or body reviewing work done by themselves. Auditing the management systems of a client to whom the Eurocert or its personal involved in certification; who have provided management systems consultancy would be a self-review threat.

threats that arise from a person or body being too familiar with or trusting of another person instead of seeking audit evidence. Hence Eurocert put restriction not to repeat assessment team leader for more three continuous assessment (Stage-1 Audit, follow up are not taken into consideration while counting the number of assessment)

threats that arise from a person or body having a perception of being coerced openly or secretively, such as a threat to be replaced or reported to a supervisor.

in addition to the threat of financial impropriety identified in above, Eurocert also recognises that given at least part of the Eurocert’s revenue is received by clients paying for certification, this is also a potential threat to impartiality at an organisational level. Eurocert keep its financial position viable and ensure any contingent risk by professional indemnity insurance and agreement with the Auditor, Client and all associated personal.

To demonstrate effective Implementation of policy of Eurocert, we shall neither provides nor permits the Following: 1. Consultancy services for realization, continuity and sustenance of certification. 2. Services for designing, implementing or maintaining a management system. 3. Certification services against or on behalf of other certification bodies having same accreditation which Eurocert have in its own name. 4. Employee working for Eurocert shall not provide Certification Service with Consultancy group dealing in the ISO Consultancy. 5. Eurocert shall not allow any consultancy organization to market or offer the activities of Eurocert. 6. Eurocert shall not state or imply that certification would be simpler, easier, faster or less expensive. 7. Eurocert or its employees shall not interfere or participate in decision process of management system issues. 8. Eurocert & its employees shall not participate in preparation and procurement of manuals, guides, Formats and procedures intended to be used for management system standards in which Eurocert dealt with certification services. 9. Eurocert shall not provide specific and detailed advice or training on design, implementation and maintenance of management systems subject to certification. 10. There shall be no pressure of any kind (Financial, Trade, Administrative, Competitive, Moral and other) over Eurocert and the personnel regarding the execution of their obligations as a Certification Body according to ISO 17021:2011. 11. Eurocert timely identifies, analyses, controls and documents all possibilities for conflict of interests that emerges or may emerge during its certification processes including any conflict that emerge or may emerges from its relations. Presence of relations does not necessarily position the Eurocert in a situation of conflict of interests. If some relations create impartiality threats, Eurocert documents and eliminates or decreases such threats. This information is presented before the Impartiality Committee. It is necessary to cover all possible conflict of interest resources that are identified regardless of their origin. Eurocert requires from all employees, internal and external, to comply with impartiality rules as well as reveal any situation known to them that may present them or Eurocert with a conflict of interests. Eurocert shall use this information as input in identifying threats to impartiality raised by the activities of such personnel or by the organization that employ them. Such personnel, internal or external shall not be used unless they demonstrate that there is no conflict of interest. Eurocert shall not undertake any action that threatens the impartiality and/or are potential conflict of interests. 12. When certain relations create unacceptable impartiality threat, then the certification shall not be conducted. Eurocert shall not certify another certification body for its activities related to management system certification. 13. When potential impartiality threat arises Eurocert eliminates it or decreases it. This process is also controlled by the impartiality committee by holding a meeting at regular intervals. 14. Eurocert shall not certify own group companies (if there are such companies) or organizations that Eurocert is a part of or a member. 15. Personnel, who have provided consultancy (including internal audits) within two years to the organization seeking certification, are not allowed to take part in audit or other certification activities. 16. Eurocert shall not provide internal audits for its certified clients. Eurocert shall not certify a management system for which it has conducted internal audits within two years following the end of the internal audits. 17. Eurocert shall not provide certification services to a client when relations between the Consultancy Company and Eurocert could lead to impartiality threat. 18. Eurocert shall not outsource audits to a management system consultancy organization as this poses an unacceptable threat to the impartiality of the certification body. This does not apply to individuals contracted as auditors or technical experts. 19. Eurocert does not receive any financial support other than its Promoters, Directors, Bankers, Financial Institutions and the fees for its services. 20. Eurocert does not pay any commissions to consultants to eliminate any possible pressure or impact on Eurocert by consultants. 21. Eurocert shall not allow any pressure from other certification bodies to influence the certification process in the organization. If other certification body declines to provide service for client and the client requests the same service form Eurocert than Eurocert shall investigate the reasons for declining before performing any other certification activities for the respective client. 22. Eurocert shall not allow pressure from clients and/or consultancy organizations. If there is such pressure than Eurocert shall apply requirements of ISO 17021 and internal procedures in order to stop such practice. 23. Eurocert shall not allow pressure from employees and/or related persons. 24. All employees are obliged to work in compliance with requirements of ISO 17021 and as per agreement of contract.

1. Discuss the requirement and expectation of the accreditation standards and accreditation board for impartiality. 2. Assist the Eurocert in developing the policies relating to impartiality of its certification activities. 3. Counteract any tendency on the part of a certification body to allow commercial or other considerations to prevent the consistent objective provision of certification activities. 4. Advise on matters affecting confidence in certification, including openness and public perception, and 5. Conduct a review, as least once annually, of the impartiality of the audit, certification and decision making processes of the certification body. 6. Ensure that balance of interest is maintained in the management system certification services. 7. Approve the conflict of interest analysis and the mitigation measures described in ISO 17021. 8. Participate via one member in the Professional Conduct Committee which ensures implementation of the Code of Integrity within our organization Any instance where an employee, outsourced partner or customer feels there is a threat to impartiality, they are welcome to raise the concern directly to Eurocert’s Managing Director: Pragyesh Singh at md@isoindia.org