RSPO and ASI guidance for certification bodies on the transfer of RSPO certificates in the case of the accreditation withdrawal of SGS

According to accreditation requirements and procedures, under certain circumstances the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (CBs) previously accredited to offer RSPO certification can be withdrawn by ASI.

Once the decision is taken the conformity assessment body will no longer be permitted to:

• Issue new certificates;

• Re-issue certificates;

• Conduct initial assessments, surveillance assessments as well as NPP verification;

• Make claims associating themselves with the RSPO scheme.

Certificates issued by the certification body prior to the withdrawal will remain valid for a period of ninety (90) days after the date of withdrawal. This time period is intended to permit certificate holders to enter into an agreement with another accredited CB to enable the transfer of the certificate.

During the transfer process the CB, RSPO and ASI will work together to ensure that the impact on the certificate holders and applicants is minimized.

For more information, please contact : Laszlo Mathe ([email protected]) and Jan Van Driel ([email protected]).

The guidance for conformity assessment bodies on the transfer of RSPO certificates in case of an accreditation withdrawal can be downloaded (as shown below).