The managers of the national accreditation bodies in the Nordic and Baltic countries visited Iceland in August in connection with their annual meeting, which was hosted here this year. As usual, the meeting was highly successful, and the participants made good use of their free time by exploring some of Iceland’s natural and cultural attractions.

The opportunity was also taken to invite representatives from the Ministry of Industries and the ISAC Accreditation Council to meet with them. The purpose of the Accreditation Council is to support ISAC in fulfilling the requirements of laws, regulations, and international standards regarding the involvement of key stakeholders in accreditation activities, and to promote a common understanding and interpretation of the requirements against which conformity is assessed. During the meeting, interesting examples of how accreditation is used in the participating countries were presented, followed by productive discussions on the subject.

The use of accreditation has been increasing in European Union legislation, particularly in areas such as digital services, sustainability, environmental matters, and cybersecurity. At the same time, changes to accreditation assessment methodologies are expected in the coming years, potentially improving efficiency and reducing costs. Through cooperation among these stakeholders, ISAC will be better positioned to influence these developments and provide the services that will be needed.