ISO IEC 17065-2012 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC 17065:2012 — Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services. This International Standard specifies requirements to ensure that third‑party certification bodies operate in a competent, consistent and impartial manner when certifying products, processes and services, enabling credible certificates and marks of conformity accepted nationally and internationally.

Abstract

This standard sets out organizational, resource, process and management system requirements for bodies that certify products, processes or services. It addresses competence, impartiality, consistent operation, confidentiality, surveillance, use of marks, and handling of complaints and appeals. ISO/IEC 17065 replaces earlier guidance (ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 / EN 45011) and follows the CASCO common structure for conformity assessment standards.

General information

• Status: Published (confirmed/active edition).
• Publication date: September 2012 (Edition 1, 2012).
• Publisher: Joint ISO / IEC publication (ISO as primary catalog entry).
• ICS / categories: 03.120.20 — Product and company certification; conformity assessment.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2012).
• Number of pages: 27 pages (official PDF/publication length as published by ISO/IEC).

Key bibliographic and lifecycle data as published by the ISO/IEC catalog and webstores.

Scope

ISO/IEC 17065 contains requirements for the competence, consistent operation and impartiality of bodies certifying products, processes and services. It applies to third‑party certification and may be used by certification bodies, accreditation bodies and scheme owners. The term “product” may be read as “process” or “service” except where separate provisions are stated; Annex B of the standard provides guidance on processes and services.

Key topics and requirements

• Impartiality mechanisms and governance to prevent conflicts of interest.
• Organizational structure, responsibilities and documented management system requirements (including continual improvement and risk considerations).
• Competence of personnel (assessors, technical experts) and control of subcontracting.
• Certification process requirements: application, evaluation, decision, surveillance, recertification, suspension and withdrawal.
• Requirements for certification schemes and scheme documentation; conformity assessment principles aligned with ISO/IEC 17000.
• Use of marks and certificates, confidentiality, records and handling of complaints and appeals.
• Surveillance activities and sampling where applicable; requirements for impartiality evidence and public confidence.

Typical use and users

Used by product/process/service certification bodies (to design and operate their certification activities), national accreditation bodies (for accreditation assessment), scheme owners (to align schemes with international requirements), regulators (to reference reliable third‑party certification), and organizations seeking certification or evaluating certification bodies. It is also used by consultants and auditors working in conformity assessment.

Related standards

ISO/IEC 17065 is part of the ISO/CASCO family of conformity assessment standards and relates to (among others) ISO/IEC 17000 (vocabulary and principles), ISO/IEC 17021 (management system certification bodies), ISO/IEC 17024 (personnel certification), ISO/IEC 17020 (inspection bodies) and ISO/IEC 17025 (testing laboratories) as complementary documents in the conformity ecosystem. ISO/IEC 17065 replaces ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 (and national adoptions such as EN 45011) and references guidance in ISO/IEC 17067 (fundamentals of product certification and scheme design).

Keywords

conformity assessment; product certification; process certification; service certification; certification body; impartiality; competence; surveillance; certification scheme; ISO/CASCO.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: An international standard that defines requirements for bodies that certify products, processes and services so they operate competently, consistently and impartially.

Q: What does it cover?

A: Organizational and management system requirements, personnel competence, impartiality/governance, certification process (evaluation, decision, surveillance, suspension/withdrawal), use of marks, confidentiality, complaints and appeals, and interactions with certification schemes.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Certification bodies, accreditation bodies, scheme owners, regulators, manufacturers and other organizations that rely on or provide third‑party certification.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO/IEC 17065:2012 is the published edition (Edition 1, 2012) and, at the time of record in the ISO catalog, is listed as the current/confirmed version (reviewed/confirmed in subsequent ISO reviews). It replaced ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 and related national standards; accreditation transition deadlines were set following its publication (transition completed by most accreditation bodies by 2015). Users should check their national accreditation body or the ISO catalog for any later amendments or revisions.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the ISO/CASCO suite of conformity assessment standards and commonly used alongside ISO/IEC 17000, 17020, 17021, 17024, 17025 and related guidance (for example ISO/IEC 17067 on product certification schemes).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: conformity assessment, certification body, product certification, impartiality, competence, certification scheme, surveillance, management system.