BS EN ISO/IEC 17021:2011 contains principles and requirements for the competence, consistency and impartiality of the audit and certification of management systems of all types (e.g. quality management systems or environmental management systems) and for bodies providing these activities. Certification bodies operating to this International Standard need not offer all types of management system certification.

Certification of management systems (named in this International Standard "certification") is a third-party conformity assessment activity (see ISO/IEC 17000:2004, 5.5). Bodies performing this activity are therefore third-party conformity assessment bodies (named in this International Standard "certification body/bodies").

NOTE 1 Certification of a management system is sometimes also called "registration", and certification bodies are sometimes called "registrars".

NOTE 2 A certification body can be non-governmental or governmental (with or without regulatory authority).

NOTE 3 This International Standard can be used as a criteria document for accreditation or peer assessment or other audit processes.

Cross References:
ISO 9000:2005
ISO/IEC 17000:2004
ISO 9001
ISO 10002
ISO 14001
ISO 19011
ISO/IEC 17030
ISO/IEC Guide 28:2004
ISO/TS 22003
ISO/IEC 27006


Replaces BS EN ISO/IEC 17021:2006 which remains current.

All current amendments available at time of purchase are included with the purchase of this document.