Impartiality Policy
EuroMark is committed to impartiality in management system certification activities. EuroMark' Quality Management Policy states that it recognises the importance of impartiality in carrying out its management system certification activities, and manages conflict of interest situations and ensures the objectivity of its management system certification process.
Euro Mark will comply with the requirements of ISO 17021:2015 and ensure impartiality for all its members of staff related to the certification activities across all modes of operations, including both offline and online.
Scope
The top management of Euromark International Limited (referred to as EUROMARK herein) understands the importance of impartiality when performing Management System certification and assessment activities. EUROMARK manages potential conflict of interests and ensures the objectivity of its Management System certification activities. EUROMARK has developed and implemented policies, procedures and processes in compliance with the requirements of BS EN ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 / BS EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 / ISO 37001:2016 / CPR (EU) No 305/2011.
Policy
EUROMARK through this policy, identifies, analyses, and documents all possibilities for conflict of interests that may arise from certification / assessment activities / processes including any conflicts that arise from its relationships on an ongoing basis.
Relationships do not necessarily present EUROMARK with a conflict of interests. However, should any relationship create a threat to impartiality, EUROMARK shall document and eliminate or minimise any such threats and document any residual risk on its Risk Register. Any residual risk identified shall be reviewed periodically, at the Management Review to determine if it is within acceptable levels of risk. This information is presented to the Managing Director and the Management Team members.
It is necessary to cover all potential sources of possible conflict of interests. Sources that are identified regardless of their origin. EUROMARK shall use this information as an input in identifying threats to impartiality raised by the activities of such personnel or by the organisation that employ them.
Such personnel, internal or external shall not be used unless they demonstrate that there is no conflict of interest.
EUROMARK will not undertake any decision that directly or indirectly threatens the impartiality and/or are potential conflict of interest.
EUROMARK employees, internal and external, shall comply with the outlined procedure as well as reveal any situation known to them that may present themselves or EUROMARK with a conflict of interests.
EUROMARK shall utilise an Impartiality Panel / TAP (Technical Advisory Panel) Committee who shall ensure impartiality is maintained throughout EUROMARK Certification / assessment activities with reference to EU6 Standards Committee for Safeguarding Impartiality. Risk review also forms part of the annual Impartiality review.
EUROMARK Certification / TAP is deemed as a separate entity from EUROMARK Testing Services for its Laboratory testing accreditation to BS EN ISO/IEC 17025:2015 and therefore EUROMARK shall not be influenced by its decision for its certification activities and EUROMARK shall not certify any other section / activity of its own company or organisations that EUROMARK is a part of or is a related party. EUROMARK shall not offer or provide management system technical advice/consultancy or any other technical knowledge/information/data support in respect of BS EN ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 / BS EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 / CPR (EU) No 305/2011
To ensure there is no conflict of interests all internal and external personnel, who have provided technical advice, (including internal audits) within two years to the organisation seeking certification, are not permitted to take part in audit or other certification services. Audit trails and records shall be maintained in the personnel dossier or approved sub-contractor file.
EUROMARK shall not provide internal audit support for its certified clients. EUROMARK shall not certify a management system for which it has provided internal audits within two years following the end of the internal audits.
EUROMARK shall conduct a periodic risk assessment to ensure no threat to impartiality exists through self- interest which may arise from a person or body acting in their own interest (financial or other), self - review which may arise from a person or body reviewing their own auditing work or on a client to which they have offered previous consultancy activities, familiarity or trust which may arise from a person or body being too familiar with or trusting of another person instead of seeking audit evidence or by intimidation which may arise from a person or body having a perception of being coerced openly or secretively.
EUROMARK shall not certify a management system on which a client has received management system technical advice/consultancy or internal audits, where relationships between the Consultancy Company and EUROMARK could pose an unacceptable threat to impartiality of EUROMARK.
EUROMARK shall not fully outsource audits to a management system consultancy organisation as this poses an unacceptable threat to the impartiality EUROMARK. This does not apply to individuals contracted as auditors or technical experts.
EUROMARK does not receive any financial support different from what is invested by the management and owners, and apart from the fees of its services.
EUROMARK does not pay any brokerage or commissions to it's hired or employed consultants therefore there can be no pressurisation exercised on EUROMARK by external consultants.
EUROMARK or any part of the same legal entity and any entity under the organizational control of EUROMARK shall not be marketed or offered as linked with an organisation that provides management consultancy.
EUROMARK shall take corrective actions against inappropriate or false claims of any consultancy organisation stating or implying that the certification will be simpler, easier, faster, or less expensive if specific certification body is used due to the fact it is conflict of interests. Also, EUROMARK shall not state or imply that certification would be simpler, easier, faster, or cheaper if a specified consultancy organization were used.
EUROMARK shall take action to respond to any threats to its impartiality arising from the actions of other persons, bodies, or organisations.
EUROMARK shall act impartially and shall not allow commercial, financial, or other pressures to compromise impartiality.
EUROMARK shall not become directly involved in the design, procurement, manufacture, assembly, supply, repair, installation, use or maintenance of the products inspected or similar competitive items.
EUROMARK will not allow any pressure from other certification bodies, clients and /or consultancy organisations to influence the certification process in the organization. If another certification body declines to provide service for client and the client requests the same service from EUROMARK then EUROMARK will investigate the reasons and advise how the investigation was carried out before performing certification services and declining certification activities for the respective client. In all such scenarios, EUROMARK shall not allow any pressure from partners and others. If there is such pressure then EUROMARK will apply requirements as stated under relevant sections of BS EN ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 / BS EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 / CPR (EU) No. 305/2011, MCHW SHW standards, documents / normative references, and internal procedures to stop such unhealthy practices as and when it comes / or is brought to the notice of management.
EUROMARK shall not certify another management certification body for its quality management system (QMS).
All interested parties shall have access to the services of EUROMARK and there shall not be undue financial or other conditions, all procedures shall be administered in accordance with established business principles, in a non-discriminatory manner.