By-laws of the State Agency Latvian National Accreditation Bureau

Issued pursuant to Section 4,
Paragraph two of the Public Agencies Law,
Section 6, Paragraph three of the law
On Conformity Assessment

I. General Provisions

1. The State agency Latvian National Accreditation Bureau (hereinafter - the Bureau) is an institution of direct administration which is under the supervision of the Minister for Economics. The Minister for Economics shall implement the supervision through the Ministry of Economics.

2. The purpose of the Bureau is to participate in the development and introduction of accreditation policy and to ensure compliance with the directly applicable European Union and international requirements in the field of accreditation by providing qualitative and reliable accreditation services that match the needs of economy.

II. Functions, Tasks and Rights of the Bureau

3. In its activities, the Bureau shall implement the functions of the national accreditation body that have been specified in the law On Conformity Assessment and also other laws and regulations.

4. In order to implement the specified function, the Bureau shall have the following tasks:

4.1. to check the fulfilment of the functions by a conformity assessment body (also foreign) in the conformity assessment by complying with the national and also directly applicable European Union and international requirements in the field of accreditation;

4.2. to participate in the development of laws and regulations related to the accreditation system and to provide suggestions therefore;

4.3. to cooperate with market supervision institutions, other State administration institutions and sectoral non-governmental organisations;

4.4. to participate in the meetings and working groups of regional and international authorities, and also to exchange information with accreditation bodies of other countries;

4.5. to organise trainings for the persons involved in the accreditation process and conformity assessment bodies on the matters within the competence of the Bureau;

4.6. to ensure assessment of the conformity assessment bodies and persons accredited by foreign accreditation bodies as part of the implementation of the cross border accreditation policy of the European Accreditation Cooperation;

4.7. to ensure up-to-date publicly available information regarding the accredited conformity assessment bodies, and also to maintain and improve the database of accredited bodies;

4.8. to inform the public of the latest developments in the field of accreditation.

5. The Bureau has the right to:

5.1. request and receive from natural and legal persons the information necessary for the fulfilment of the functions of the Bureau;

5.2. smoothly take all the actions necessary for the assessment of the operation of conformity assessment bodies;

5.3. collect a fee for the paid services provided by the Bureau;

5.4. invite experts to participate in the process of assessing the conformity assessment bodies and monitoring of their operation, and to conclude contracts therewith;

5.5. establish accreditation sectoral technical committees and organise their work;

5.6. conclude contracts with natural and legal persons, non-governmental organisations and also foreign accreditation bodies and international organisations in accordance with the competence of the Bureau.

III. Management of the Bureau, Ensuring Lawfulness of its Operation and Supervision Thereof

6. The operation of the Bureau is ensured by the Director of the Bureau. The Directors shall be appointed to and released from office by the Minister for Economics.

7. The Director of the Bureau determines the structure of the Bureau.

8. Accreditation decisions shall be taken by an accreditation commission established by the Bureau.

9. Decision of the accreditation commission may be contested by filing the relevant submission to the Bureau.

10. The contested decisions of the accreditation commission shall be examined by an appeals commission established by the Director of the Bureau.

11. Decisions of the appeals commission of the Bureau may be appealed to a court in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law.

12. The actual behaviour of the officials of the Bureau may be contested by filing the relevant submission to the Director of the Bureau. A decision and actual behaviour of the Director of the Bureau may be appealed to a court in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law.

13. The Bureau shall prepare and submit to the Ministry of Economics the annual statement on its operation and use of finances.

14. Upon a request of the Ministry of Economics, the Bureau shall provide all the necessary information regarding the operation and use of the funds of the Bureau.

IV. Closing Provisions

15. Cabinet Regulation No. 445 of 18 May 2010, Regulations Regarding the National Accreditation Body (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2010, No. 80; 2017, No. 133), is repealed.

16. This Regulation shall come into force on 1 March 2018.

Prime Minister,
Acting for the Minister for Health Māris Kučinskis

Deputy Prime Minister,
Minister for Economics Arvils Ašeradens

Translation © 2020 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)