1. Introduction

ISO/TC 207 has the mandate of standardization in the field of environmental management tools and systems. ISO/CASCO has the mandate to study means of assessing conformity of product, processes, services and management systems to appropriate standards and other normative documents, to prepare international guides and standards of conformity assessment activities, and to promote their use.

ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 have established liaisons and have pursued cooperation where appropriate. Considering the growing importance worldwilde of the ISO 14000 standards on Environmental Management Systems and of the ISO/IEC Standards on conformity assessment, ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 have established this joint framework for furthering effective coordination of their work, at strategic, operational and national level, with a view of increasing value for users of these standards. This agreement will receive priority when the two committees make decisions affecting their work programs.

2. Shared goals

2.1 Furthering compatibility between ISO 14000 and CASCO Standards
It is esse 1707 ntial for ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 to keep enhancing market relevance of their products. It should be noted that ISO/CASCO is transferring existing Guides to International Standards and has started the investigation of the future structure of ISO/IEC Standards on conformity assessment activities to ensure that they are simplified and more readily applicable.

ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 share the goal of furthering the compatibility of the ISO 14000 standards on environmental management systems and ISO/IEC Standards on conformity assessment in relation with the needs of users of these standards. This compatibility will address among other things, the terminology used and the management system requirements contained in the standards.

2.2 Upgrading common and consistent communications
It is important for ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 to make an effort to upgrade their communications as to ensure that their message is received and understood. Joint message are useful when there is a market need to have internationally common and consistent guidance on appropriate implementation and/or a better understanding of their standards, and the current status of their work, especially in the transitional stages, ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 recognize that they should collaborate to develop common and consistent messages with other relevant international organizations whenever useful.

2.3 Preserving the integrity of the standards
ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 also share the goal of cooperating between themselves and with other bodies in the preservation of the intent of the standards they produce, whenever this is pertinent.

3. Coordination approach

In order to achieve the goals mentioned above, ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 will pursue the following coordination.

3.1 Strategic coordination
The chairs and Secretaries of ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 will continue to periodically exchange information on each others' work, through direct attendance at the meetings of their respective advisory groups (CASCO/CAG and TC 207/CAG) and plenaries, and/or the exchange of written reports on the current status of their work. They will also exchange their respective work programs every time these are updated as well as other documents such as ISO/CASCO Strategies to be prepared triennially and CASCO-related ISO's Strategic Agenda (SA) to be prepared annually, and ISO/TC 207 Business Plan.

3.2 Operational coordination
At the operational level, the Secretaries of ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 will establish liaisons between relevant ISO/CASCO working groups and ISO/TC 207 subcommittees and working groups, exchange working documents (including plenary Resolutions) and nominate representatives at the earliest possible time, whenever a new work item is being proposed or whenever an existing document is to be revised or amended.

3.3 National coordination
The national member bodies of ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 have the responsibility to organize their national inputs to the respective committees in an efficient and timely manner, taking into account all the relevant interests at their national level. In order to reinforce the strategic and operational coordination at the committee level, it is recommended that national member bodies who participate in both ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207 present common views and positions at both committees whenever common interests are identified.

4. Joint progress reports

Joint progress reports will be submitted by the Chairs of ISO/CASCO and ISO/TC 207.