Norwegian Accreditation handles complaints and any other inquiries in accordance with internal routines. All information that NA receives regarding an accredited organization from parties other than the organization itself is treated confidentially by NA, and the source of the information will not be passed on to the accredited organization unless the source agrees to this.
Complaints regarding individual decisions concerning accreditation
All written complaints are registered and subject to complaint handling by Norwegian Accreditation.
A complaint must be registered within 3 weeks from the time the individual decision is received from Norwegian Accreditation, Cf. the Norwegian Public Administration Act §29-30.
Norwegian Accreditation will appoint an independent person for handling of the complaint in accordance with the Public Administration Act §33 second paragraph, and §11 first and second paragraph.
The decision regarding the complaint shall normally be communicated to the complainant within a month of Norwegian Accreditation receiving the complaint. Cf. the Public Administration Act §11a third paragraph. A complainant may appeal a decision regarding a complaint by submitting an appeal to Norwegian Accreditation’s appellate instance.
Complaints regarding individual decisions concerning requests to see documents in public case handling information
Norwegian Accreditation will reassess whether or not the right to access to documents is fulfilled, or the extent of content to be granted access to. CF. the Public Access to Information Act § 11 and Public Administration Act §18.
Norwegian Accreditation handles such requests without undue delay and normally within 5 working days. Cf. the Public Access to Information Act § 29 first paragraph.
The decision regarding the complaint is conveyed to the complainant along with consequent documents to which access has been granted. The decision is normally conveyed within a month, cf. the Public Administration Act § 11a. The complainant may appeal a decision to the appellate instance.
All feedback is registered and will be handled, however, regulations for handling of complaints is only applicable to written, registered complaints and does not apply to general feedback.
What kind of complaints do we handle?
Complaints on individual decisions concerning accreditation.
Complaints on individual decisions concerning the right of access to public documents.
Complaints on findings given during assessments.
Complaints concerning the assessment team and its performance.
Complaints concerning accredited organisations.
All complaints on individual decisions shall be subject to complaint handling, but what is an individual decision?
The Public Administration Act § 2 defines an individual decision as:
a) individual decision, a decision made in the exercise of public authority and which in general or specifically determines the rights or obligations of private persons (individuals or other private legal entities);
b) individual decision, a decision concerning the rights or obligations of one or more specific persons
The right to deliver accredited results, results from GLP-inspections and decisions regarding the right of access to documentation concerning public casework make up the majority of the individual decisions made by NA.
Individual decisions regarding accreditation is made with the legal authority as given in the Commodity Act for the Free Movement of Goods in the EEA of 14th April 2013.
As a public administration body, Norwegian Accreditation is obliged to adhere to the Public Administration Act of February 1967 number 10.
Requests regarding access to documentation from public governance are processed in accordance with the Act on the Right of Access to Documents in Public Activities of 19 May 2006 no. 16 (the Public Administration Act). A party's right to access information from its own case is described in the Public Administration Act §§ 17 - 21. All the above laws have provisions for processing complaints.
How to complain?
Complaints on individual decisions shall be written. The complaint shall be sent to Norwegian Accreditation as letter or as an email to akkreditert@akkreditert.no.
Who is the appellate instance?
Appellate instance for individual decisions regarding accreditation is Norwegian Accreditation’s Appeals Committee, cf. the Commodity Act for the Free Movement of Goods in the EEA §3 second paragraph.
Appellate instance for individual decisions regarding the right to access public casework documents and for GLP-approvals is the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries cf. the Public Administration Act §28 first paragraph.
Appellate instance for individual decisions regarding accreditation in accordance with the EMAS scheme is the Ministry of Climate and Environment, cf. Regulation 1221/2009 article 12 1c, and the Public Administration Act §28.