Conformity assessment is defined as: " any activity concerned with determining directly or indirectly that relevant requirements are fulfilled." Conformity assessment procedures provide a means of ensuring that the products, services, or systems produced or operated have the required characteristics and that these characteristics are consistent from product to product, service to service, or system to system.
Conformity assessment includes: sampling and testing; inspection; certification; management system assessment and registration; accreditation of the competence of those activities and recognition of an accreditation program's capability. A specific conformity assessment process may include one or more of these conformity assessment activities. While each of these activities is a distinct operation, they are closely interrelated. In addition, standards are interwoven into all aspects of these activities and can have a major impact on the outcome of a conformity assessment process.
Conformity assessment activities form a vital link between standards (which define necessary characteristics or requirements for products) and the products themselves. Together standards and conformity assessment activities impact almost every aspect of life in Europe.
