The increasing demand on quality of products and services offered both in external and internal trade necessitates compliance with technical regulations, standards and other regulatory measures covering health, safety and quality. In regulatory systems, government authorities implement regulations covering approval of products and services for reasons of health, safety, environmental protection, fraud prevention or market fairness. In voluntary systems, different sectors of industry including services, establish conformity assessment and certification procedures aiming at achieving specified standards for products processes and systems thereby enabling market access, comparability and ensuring competition on equal terms. These systems apply to trade in goods and provision of services both within an economy as well as globally.

The provision of goods and services conforming to technical regulations (mandatory) or standards (voluntary) requires efficient procedures for assessment of conformity to relevant stipulated requirements. Conformity assessment activities that include inspection, testing, certification and GHG Validation/Verification for voluntary or mandatory systems, are carried out by Conformity Assessment Bodies (CAB’s) having necessary competence to carry out such tasks.

In such operations, both at domestic and global levels, there is an increasing demand for independent verification of CAB’s for competence, impartiality and credibility. Such verifications are done by authoritative accreditation bodies that act impartially in relation to both CAB’s and their clients. Accreditation by SLAB demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of the accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies.