This document contains general principles and requirements for the competence, consistent operation and impartiality of bodies performing validation/verification as conformity assessment activities.

Bodies operating according to this document can provide validation/verification as a first-party, second-party or third-party activity. Bodies can be validation bodies only, verification bodies only, or provide both activities.

This document is applicable to validation/verification bodies in any sector, providing confirmation that claims are either plausible with regards to the intended future use (validation) or truthfully stated (verification). However, results of other conformity assessment activities (e.g. testing, inspection and certification) are not considered to be subject to validation/verification according to this document. Neither are situations where validation/verification activities are performed as steps within another conformity assessment process.

This document is applicable to any sector, in conjunction with sector specific programmes that contain requirements for validation/verification processes and procedures.

This document can be used as a basis for accreditation by accreditation bodies, peer assessment within peer assessment groups, or other forms of recognition of validation/verification bodies by international or regional organizations, governments, regulatory authorities, programme owners, industry bodies, companies, clients or consumers.

NOTE This document contains generic requirements and is neutral with regard to the validation/verification programme in operation. Requirements of the applicable programmes are additional to the requirements of this document.