SCC renews partnership with European Accreditation to support CETA
Five years ago, Canada embarked on a new agreement to facilitate trade with its second-largest trading partner, the European Union. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) aims to eliminate or reduce trade barriers to create jobs and strengthen economic relations. The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and the European cooperation for Accreditation (EA), have renewed their cooperation arrangement in support of the Protocol on the mutual acceptance of the results of conformity assessment (CA Protocol) under CETA.
Implementing the CA Protocol enables industry to certify products to EU requirements in Canada, and vice versa. This mutual acceptance of conformity assessment results allows for faster certification, saving time and money for industry, which lowers costs for consumers.
“The agreement between SCC and EA has allowed us to lay the foundation of cooperation and confidence building for this work and contribute to the economic prosperity and health and safety of Canada and the EU,” says Chantal Guay, CEO of SCC. “We look forward to our ongoing work to implement more product categories under the Protocol.”
“We are very pleased to work with the Standards Council of Canada to implement mutual recognition, which is key for the implementation of CETA and the free movement of goods between the EU and Canada,” says Andreas Steinhorst, EA Executive Secretary. “Our renewed partnership builds momentum and an opportunity for us to serve the bilateral trading relationship through accreditation and conformity assessment.”
About the Standards Council of Canada
Established in 1970 as a federal Crown corporation, the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is Canada’s voice on standards and accreditation on the national and international stage. SCC works closely with a vast network of partners to promote the development of effective and efficient standardization that protect the health, safety and well-being of Canadians while helping businesses prosper. As Canada’s leading accreditation organization, SCC creates market confidence at home and abroad by ensuring that conformity assessment bodies meet the highest national and international standards. SCC advances Canada’s interest on the international scene as a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) by connecting thousands of people to global networks and resources, opening a world of possibilities for Canadians and businesses.
About the European Cooperation for Accreditation (EA)
EA is the Association of National Accreditation Bodies of the Member States of the European Union (EU) and of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of candidate countries for membership to the EU and EFTA, of Member States of the Council of Europe and of countries identified by the EU in the European Commission’s Neighbourhood Policy as a country of particular importance.
EA is officially recognised by the European Commission according to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 as the European Accreditation Infrastructure.
EA’s mission is to provide effective and reliable accreditation services through its members, fulfilling at best the needs of the European economy and society. EA members carry out accreditation of Conformity Assessment Bodies on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and international standards.
