CEQMAS provides consultancy to Laboratories and Bodies aiming at accreditation.

Accreditation is the procedure by which credibility is given by an external body to a programme, a department, an institution.

Accreditation is the highest level of recognition for Laboratories operating under Quality Assurance, for instance according to

• ISO/IEC 17020: 1998
  General criteria for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection
  
  
• ISO/IEC 17024: 2003
  Conformity assessment -- General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons
  
  
• ISO/IEC 17025: 2005
  General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
  
  
• ISO/IEC 17030: 2003
  Conformity assessment -- General requirements for third-party marks of conformity

In Belgium, accreditation is delivered by BELAC, who defines Accreditation as " a third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body, that conveys formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks. Laboratories, inspection and certification bodies may, through accreditation, provide evidence with regard to their technical abilities."

Quality: "The totality of characteristics of an entity that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs."

Quality Assurance: "All the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system, and demonstrated as needed, to provide adequate confidence that an entity will fulfil requirements for quality."

ISO 8402 was withdrawn in December 2000 and new definitions are now found in ISO 9000-2000 (Quality management systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary).