GENEVA-The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released the ISO/IEC Pack: Conformity assessment – Laboratories and inspection bodies, which contains 10 standards and guides (plus a corrigendum).

The CD includes general requirements for laboratories that want to be considered competent to carry out testing, calibration and sampling. These criteria are contained in ISO/IEC 17025:2005, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

As many laboratories also operate inspection activities, the CD also includes ISO/IEC 17020:1998, General requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection activities.

"It has been estimated that standards and related conformity assessment activities have an impact on about 80% of world commodity trade," says ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele, "which gives an idea of the importance of the conformity assessment standards and guides developed by ISO and its partner, the International Electrotechnical Commission."

The CD can be purchased Here.