Overview
ISO/IEC 17067:2013 - "Conformity assessment - Fundamentals of product certification and guidelines for product certification schemes" provides guidance on the fundamentals of product certification and on developing, operating and maintaining product certification schemes. Issued by ISO/IEC CASCO in 2013, this guidance standard is intended for anyone with an interest in third‑party product, process or service certification - particularly certification scheme owners.
Key points:
- Describes the concept and objectives of product certification as a form of third‑party attestation to specified requirements (e.g., safety, performance, interoperability, sustainability).
- Offers practical guidance (not mandatory requirements) for structuring and managing certification schemes.
- Emphasizes the functional approach to conformity assessment and includes new guidance (Clause 6) on setting up and operating schemes.
Key topics and technical elements
ISO/IEC 17067 organizes product certification around core conformity‑assessment functions and activities:
- Selection - planning, sampling and specification of requirements (normative documents/standards).
- Determination - assessment techniques such as testing, inspection, design appraisal, and assessment of services/processes.
- Review - verification of evidence and assessment results.
- Decision on certification - granting, maintaining, extending, suspending or withdrawing certification.
- Attestation - issuing certificates or statements of conformity and authorizing use of conformity marks.
- Surveillance - routine follow‑up (market sampling, factory testing, production assessment, audits) to maintain validity of certification.
Other technical topics:
- Types of product certification schemes (including type and batch certification models).
- Scheme development and maintenance (scheme owner responsibilities, documentation and scheme content).
- Mapping of functions to activities (Table 1 provides examples for building schemes).
Note: ISO/IEC 17067 gives guidance (“should”, “may”) and is compatible with requirements standards such as ISO/IEC 17065 (requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services) and linked to ISO/IEC 17000 (vocabulary and principles).
Applications - who uses it and why
ISO/IEC 17067 is aimed at:
- Certification scheme owners (certification bodies, regulators, industry associations, purchasing agencies, NGOs, consumer organizations)
- Product manufacturers and suppliers planning certification strategies
- Regulators and procurement authorities designing certification requirements
- Accreditation bodies and conformity‑assessment stakeholders
Practical benefits:
- Designing consistent, transparent certification schemes
- Choosing appropriate assessment methods (testing, inspection, audits)
- Implementing surveillance to protect market confidence and facilitate trade and market access
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 17065 - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services
- ISO/IEC 17000 - Conformity assessment vocabulary and general principles
- ISO/IEC Guide 28 and other CASCO guidance referenced for scheme models
Keywords: ISO/IEC 17067, product certification, certification scheme, conformity assessment, scheme owner, testing, inspection, surveillance, ISO/IEC 17065.
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