The Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) issued this press release celebrating 15 years of mutual recognition.
SERVING INTERNATIONAL TRADE FOR 15 YEARS
In 2007, the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Inc, known usually as "APLAC", celebrates its 15th Anniversary. Since its inception in 1992 and especially since the inaugural signing of the APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) in 1997 , APLAC has helped to serve international trade by reducing trade barriers and facilitating recognition of test, measurement and inspection reports issued by accredited laboratories through the APLAC MRA.
The culmination of APLAC’s celebration of its 15th Anniversary will be at its General Assembly and associated meetings from 2- 7 December, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
APLAC’s membership consists of organizations in the Asia Pacific region responsible for accrediting calibration, testing and inspection facilities, and reference material producers.
APLAC now boasts the successful establishment of a fully operational Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) linking 26 accreditation bodies in 17 economies across the Asia - Pacific region. The economies are: Australia; Canada; Peoples Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; The Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States of America; Vietnam.
In the US, four accreditation bodies are signatories to the APLAC MRA. These are Assured Calibration Laboratory Accreditation Select Services (ACLASS) (for testing and calibration), American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) (for testing, calibration and inspection), International Accreditation Service (IAS) (for testing, calibration and inspection)and the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) (for testing and calibration).
Mutual recognition means that each MRA signatory accepts the accreditations granted by the other signatories as equivalent to its own. This facilitates endorsed test, measurement and inspection reports from the exporting economy to be accepted in the importing economy, avoiding the need for re-testing, re-calibration or re-inspection, thus saving time and money. Regulators worldwide increasingly use accreditation (and the APLAC MRA network) as evidence of competence to carry out testing, measurement and inspection for mandatory purposes. APLAC is recognized by Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies as a Specialist Regional Body (SRB).
APLAC's principal objectives are to foster the development of competent laboratories inspection bodies and reference material producers in member economies, to harmonize accreditation practices in the region and with other regions, and to facilitate mutual recognition of test, measurement and inspection reports through the APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement.
To learn more about APLAC, please visit www.aplac.org
SERVING INTERNATIONAL TRADE FOR 15 YEARS
In 2007, the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Inc, known usually as "APLAC", celebrates its 15th Anniversary. Since its inception in 1992 and especially since the inaugural signing of the APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) in 1997 , APLAC has helped to serve international trade by reducing trade barriers and facilitating recognition of test, measurement and inspection reports issued by accredited laboratories through the APLAC MRA.
The culmination of APLAC’s celebration of its 15th Anniversary will be at its General Assembly and associated meetings from 2- 7 December, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
APLAC’s membership consists of organizations in the Asia Pacific region responsible for accrediting calibration, testing and inspection facilities, and reference material producers.
APLAC now boasts the successful establishment of a fully operational Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) linking 26 accreditation bodies in 17 economies across the Asia - Pacific region. The economies are: Australia; Canada; Peoples Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; The Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States of America; Vietnam.
In the US, four accreditation bodies are signatories to the APLAC MRA. These are Assured Calibration Laboratory Accreditation Select Services (ACLASS) (for testing and calibration), American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) (for testing, calibration and inspection), International Accreditation Service (IAS) (for testing, calibration and inspection)and the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) (for testing and calibration).
Mutual recognition means that each MRA signatory accepts the accreditations granted by the other signatories as equivalent to its own. This facilitates endorsed test, measurement and inspection reports from the exporting economy to be accepted in the importing economy, avoiding the need for re-testing, re-calibration or re-inspection, thus saving time and money. Regulators worldwide increasingly use accreditation (and the APLAC MRA network) as evidence of competence to carry out testing, measurement and inspection for mandatory purposes. APLAC is recognized by Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies as a Specialist Regional Body (SRB).
APLAC's principal objectives are to foster the development of competent laboratories inspection bodies and reference material producers in member economies, to harmonize accreditation practices in the region and with other regions, and to facilitate mutual recognition of test, measurement and inspection reports through the APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement.
To learn more about APLAC, please visit www.aplac.org
