On this page
- Choose the correct published document
- Ask what is being certified
- Example: comparing two offers for a product range
- Budget for the whole relationship
- Distinguish the neighbouring conformity-assessment standards
- Common questions before buying
- Primary sources and edition check
- Explore more standards buying guides
The checked published European product is EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012. Genorma identifies a future European project as under development. ISO still lists the 2012 publication as current while a replacement is in its final-draft process. A draft’s anticipated completion does not make it the published edition to order today. European product and future project; ISO published and revision status.
Choose the correct published document
Ask what is being certified
The public scope covers principles and requirements for competence, consistency and impartiality in third-party certification of products, services and processes. A body using the standard need not offer every type of certification. Published scope.
Ask a proposed provider to identify the exact scheme, the objects within its scope and the basis of the certification decision. A broad claim that a body works to this standard is less useful than a clear explanation of whether its service covers your particular product or service and what the resulting statement will mean.
| Question | Why it changes the purchase |
|---|---|
| Which scheme and edition apply? | The service must be based on an identifiable set of requirements. |
| Which products, processes or services are included? | A certificate boundary may be narrower than the supplier’s total offering. |
| What evidence and evaluation are expected? | The buyer needs to understand work, timing and external costs. |
| Who makes the decision and handles changes? | The continuing relationship should have visible responsibilities. |
| What claims and marks are permitted? | The buyer should understand the scheme’s stated communication conditions. |
Example: comparing two offers for a product range
Imagine a manufacturer selling a range with several configurations. One certification quotation treats the whole range as a single scope, while another separates configurations and proposes further evaluation when components change. The headline prices appear close, but the buyer cannot compare them until the scope and change assumptions are clear.
The manufacturer could provide an example of a proposed configuration change and ask each bidder how it would be handled. Which evidence would be reviewed, what might require a separate decision and how would the resulting statement describe the range? These are original procurement questions. They do not establish a particular scheme rule or determine that one set of products can be covered by a single certificate.
Budget for the whole relationship
Separate the licensed standard from the cost of developing a body’s processes and from an individual certification service. If you are a manufacturer buying certification, you may need the publication to understand the body’s framework, but you also need the scheme documents and requirements for your own product. Ask what the initial and continuing services include and how additional work is quoted.
If you are establishing or extending a certification body, identify the schemes you intend to operate, existing evidence and the intended assessment route. Ask advisers to explain how their work addresses that defined scope. A generic folder of procedures cannot show by itself that the body is competent for every product or service it might encounter.
Distinguish the neighbouring conformity-assessment standards
For management-system certification bodies, compare EN ISO/IEC 17021-1. For inspection bodies, see EN ISO/IEC 17020. For testing laboratories, see EN ISO/IEC 17025. One commercial project may involve several activities, but that does not merge their publication scopes.
Common questions before buying
Is a 2026 draft the current published replacement?
The checked ISO and European records distinguish the published 2012 text from a replacement under development. Recheck the catalogues before ordering; do not remove the draft prefix or assume a final year.
Does this standard define my product’s safety tests?
Its subject is the certification body and certification activity. Specify the relevant product requirements and scheme separately when buying an evaluation service.
Does alignment mean the body certifies every product?
No. The public scope expressly says a body need not provide all certification types. Verify the offered scheme and activity scope rather than assuming universal coverage.
Primary sources and edition check
- Genorma: published European 2012 product and future project
- ISO: current published edition, review and revision status
Publication and purchase records checked on 7 October 2026. The examples and procurement questions are original guidance. Detailed implementation requires the applicable licensed text and decisions for the actual project.
Explore more standards buying guides
Browse standards by reference and subject to compare related document choices.