The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)
Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA)

On November 2, 2000, A2LA signed the mutual recognition arrangement with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). The Arrangement was signed in Washington, D.C. at the General Assembly of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and entered into force on January 31, 2001. More than 30 accreditation bodies from 26 economies signed the arrangements.

A cornerstone of the ILAC MRA is the utilization of existing or developing regional arrangements established in the Americas (IAAC), the Asia-Pacific region (APLAC), Europe (EA) and Southern Africa. The bodies participating in these regional arrangements are responsible for maintaining the necessary confidence in the competence of their member accreditation bodies that are signatories to the new ILAC Arrangement.

By signing the ILAC MRA, the signatory accreditation bodies commit to promoting acceptance of the test reports/calibration reports issued by the laboratories accredited by the signatory accreditation bodies.

As of May 31, 2006, the following accreditation bodies were signatories to the ILAC MRA:

OAA (Argentina)
NATA (Australia)
BMWA (Austria)
BELTEST OBE/BKO (Belgium)
CGCRE/INMETRO (Brazil)
SCC (Canada)
CAEAL (Canada)
CNAL (PRC)
ONARC (Cuba)
CAI (Czech. Rep.)
DANAK (Denmark)
NLAB (Egypt)
FINAS (Finland)
COFRAC (France)
DAP (Germany) - testing only
DACH (Germany) - testing only
DKD (Germany) - calibration only
DATech (Germany) - testing only
ESYD (Greece)
HKAS (Hong Kong)
NABL (India)
KAN (Indonesia)
INAB (Ireland)
SINAL (Italy) - testing only
SIT (Italy) - calibration only
ISRAC (Israel)
JAB (Japan)
IAJapan (Japan)
KOLAS (Rep. of Korea)
DSM (Malaysia)
EMA (Mexico)
RvA (The Netherlands)
IANZ (New Zealand)
NA (Norway)
BPSLAS (Phillipines)
PCA (Poland)
RENAR (Romania) - testing only
SAC (Singapore)
SNAS (Slovakia)
SA (Slovenia)
SANAS (South Africa)
ENAC (Spain)
SWEDAC (Sweden)
SAS (Switzerland)
TAF (Chinese Taipei)
TISI (Thailand)
BLQS-DMSc (Thailand) - testing only
UKAS (United Kingdom)
A2LA (USA)
IAS (USA)
NVLAP (USA)
VILAS (Vietnam)

A2LA staff is able to provide specific details regarding the names and contact information for the accreditation body in a specific country/economy listed above.