Overview
EN ISO/IEC 17050-1:2010 (identical to ISO/IEC 17050-1:2004, corrected 2007) defines the general requirements for a supplier's declaration of conformity (SDoC). It specifies how a supplier (first-party) should declare that an object - a product, process, management system, person or body - meets specified requirements (standards, regulations or technical specifications). The standard is sector‑neutral and intended for use wherever attestation of conformity by the supplier is desirable or necessary.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose
- Applies to first‑party attestations (SDoC) and clarifies the purpose: to give assurance of conformity and identify responsibility for that conformity.
- Issuer responsibilities
- The issuer is responsible for issuing, maintaining, extending, suspending or withdrawing the declaration and for ensuring continued conformity of the object.
- Basis of the declaration
- Declarations shall be based on appropriate conformity assessment activities (testing, inspection, audit, measurement) performed by first, second or third parties.
- Minimum content of a declaration
- Unique identification of the declaration
- Name and contact address of the issuer
- Clear identification of the object (product, process, system, person or body)
- Statement of conformity
- Complete list of standards or specified requirements (and selected options)
- Date and place of issue
- Signature/name/function of authorized signatory
- Any limitations on validity
- Supporting information (recommended)
- References to assessment reports, involved conformity assessment bodies, accreditation where relevant, and supporting documentation (see ISO/IEC 17050-2).
- Form, accessibility and marking
- SDoC may be in hardcopy, electronic media or other formats and can be included in manuals, invoices or websites.
- Product marking to indicate an SDoC must not be confused with certification marks and must be traceable to the declaration.
- Continuing validity and re‑evaluation
- Procedures required to maintain validity and re‑evaluate the declaration when design, standards, ownership or relevant information changes.
- Good practice
- Recommended that the person reviewing assessment results differs from the signatory.
Applications and who uses it
- Suppliers and manufacturers issuing SDoCs for products, services, processes or management systems
- Importers and distributors who rely on supplier attestations
- Quality, compliance and regulatory teams establishing or reviewing supplier conformity processes
- Conformity assessment bodies, laboratories and accreditation bodies (for referencing and clarifying roles)
- Procurement and legal teams that require traceable conformity evidence
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 17050-2 - Supporting documentation for supplier’s declarations
- ISO/IEC 17000 - Vocabulary and general principles for conformity assessment
EN ISO/IEC 17050-1 is essential for organisations that need a clear, standardized approach to supplier self‑attestation and for integrating SDoCs into regulatory, commercial and quality-management workflows.
