Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is a systematic approach to critically assessing the positive and negative impacts of proposed and existing regulations by systematically examining different policy options and alternatives. It is the only tool for Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) and an evidence-based approach to policymaking.
Continue readingIn recent years, accreditation has grown, particularly for privately owned standards schemes.
The German company FoodPLUS GmbH pioneered a group of European retailers responding to various food industry scandals in the 1990s. In 1997, the newly founded Euro-Retailer Produce Work Group Good Agricultural Practice (EurepGAP) commissioned experts to develop new standards for good agriculture practices. This gave rise to the certification system known today as GLOBALG.A.P.(1)
Continue readingQuality infrastructure (QI) systems differ between countries.
Germany can look back on a particularly long history of QI development. The predecessor of the PTB was the first National Metrology Institute (NMI) globally, and the German DIN is one of the pioneering National Standards Bodies (NSB). Accreditation was later introduced and, during European integration, merged into one National Accreditation Body (NAB) carrying the acronym DAkkS in Germany. However, the term “quality infrastructure” is a relatively new terminology in Germany.
Continue readingQuality infrastructure is a complex field with specialized terminology and technical details from various areas of expertise. Different institutions offer online learning courses for individuals to become familiar with quality infrastructure. In this blogpost, we will present and compare the QI introductory courses of PTB and UNIDO.
Continue readingDigitalisation of accreditation services
Since 2020, accreditation bodies worldwide have increasingly digitalised their services. Accreditation has followed a universal quest for leaner and more efficient business processes, higher productivity, and lower costs. At the same time, digitalisation aims to improve the customer experience and communication as well as the transparency of the accreditation system.
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Quality Infrastructure for Development 