Who controls who certifies?

Who guarantees that a certification body is truly competent, impartial and independent?
In other words: who checks the checkers?
The answer is the accreditation system.
And it is precisely this system that makes the entire certification mechanism credible.

Trust needs rules

Certification is based on a simple principle: assessments must be carried out by a third party that is competent and impartial.
But this impartiality cannot simply be declared — it must be demonstrated.
For this reason, certification bodies are themselves subject to a rigorous verification system that assesses their technical competence, independence, impartiality, organization and operational capacity.
This is what accreditation means.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is the formal recognition of a conformity assessment body's competence to carry out specific certification, inspection, verification or testing activities.
It does not concern the certified products or companies.
It concerns the body that carries out the assessments.
In Italy, this task is entrusted to Accredia, the national single accreditation body designated by the State in application of European regulations.
Accredia verifies that bodies operate according to international requirements, ensuring competence, impartiality, independence and operational consistency.

Ongoing oversight

Accreditation is not an authorization obtained once and for all — it is an ongoing process.
Accredited bodies are periodically subject to document reviews, on-site audits, observation of activities carried out in the field, and technical reassessments.
These assessments examine numerous aspects, including:

• staff competencies;
• auditor qualifications;
• management of impartiality;
• decision-making procedures;
• correct application of international standards;
• handling of complaints and appeals;
• effectiveness of the internal management system.

The goal is not only to verify compliance with the rules, but to ensure that the system maintains high levels of reliability over time.

A system recognized internationally

Accreditation operates within an international network.
National accreditation bodies belong to cooperation organizations that promote common criteria and mutual recognition of the activities carried out.
This means that a certification issued by a body accredited according to shared rules can also be recognized beyond national borders, facilitating trade and strengthening trust among businesses, institutions and markets.
It is one of the elements that contribute to the free movement of goods and services and to the competitiveness of organizations in international markets.

Accreditation and authorization: not the same thing

In everyday language, the terms "accreditation" and "authorization" are often used as synonyms.
In reality, they refer to two different concepts.
Accreditation certifies the technical and organizational competence of a body in carrying out specific conformity assessment activities.

Authorization, on the other hand, is the measure by which a public authority grants a body the ability to operate in certain regulated areas provided for by law.
In some sectors, such as Geographical Indications, both instruments coexist, ensuring the proper functioning of the control system.

The role of CSQA

Like every certification body, CSQA also operates within this system of rules, checks and controls.
Accreditation is an essential prerequisite for ensuring that certification activities are carried out with competence, impartiality and transparency, in compliance with the international standards applicable to the various certification schemes.

It is precisely this multi-level system of controls that makes the value of certification credible in the eyes of businesses, institutions and citizens.

Why it matters to everyone

When a company chooses to become certified, when a consumer buys a certified product, or when an institution relies on a certification body, trust does not come from a simple statement.
It comes from the existence of an articulated system of rules, checks and verifications that involves all the players in conformity assessment.
It is this system that makes certification a reliable and recognized tool.
Because trust, even for those who certify, must be built every day.

Did you know...

Certification bodies can be directly observed during an audit by the accreditation body, which verifies on the ground compliance with the applicable rules and procedures.

Myth to debunk

"Once accreditation is obtained, no one checks the certification body anymore."
Not true.
Accreditation involves periodic and ongoing checks to ensure that competence, impartiality and compliance are maintained over time.

INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT

"The credibility of certification is founded on an essential principle: even those who certify must demonstrate, day after day, their own competence, impartiality and independence. Accreditation is one of the tools through which the conformity assessment system guarantees reliability and trust to the market."
Maria Chiara Ferrarese, General Manager and CEO, CSQA