Policy on conformity assessment terminology in CASCO Standards and Guides

The basic principle concerning coordination is that ISO/IEC documents should directly refer and use the definitions specified in the current ISO/IEC Guide 2 until ISO/IEC 17000 is published.

When a CASCO WG identifies a need to define a specific conformity assessment term with a different meaning from that given in ISO/IEC Guide 2, the WG shall coordinate with CASCO WG 5 to C 17000. Only when that WG and WG 5 have reached a consensus on a new definition, however, may the WG specify the new definition in the relevant Standard or Guide before or simultaneously with the publication of ISO/IEC 17000.

Furthermore, if a CASCO WG identifies a need to define a new conformity assessment term of a generic nature which is not defined in ISO/IEC Guide 2, the WG shall discuss the new term with CASCO WG 5 in order to establish whether such a term is suitable for inclusion in ISO/IEC 17000. If WG 5 concludes that the term should be defined in ISO/IEC 17000 and if the WG and WG 5 reach a consensus on the definition of the new term to be incorporated in ISO/IEC 17000, the WG may then decide whether or not it will define the new term in the relevant Standard or Guide before or simultaneously with the publication of ISO/IEC 17000.

CASCO WG 5 may identify a proposed term or definition as document-specific, i.e. effective only in the Standard(s) or Guide(s) which a particular WG is developing. For example, a CASCO WG might find it convenient for its drafting work to define some document-specific terms in which generic conformity assessment terms are used in a narrow and/or specific sense. Such document-specific terms, however, should be defined only with the agreement of CASCO WG 5, when the inevitability of doing so has been justified

Policy on the inclusion of references to QMS requirements in CASCO Standards

CASCO, as a developer of International Standards, recognizes its obligation to adhere to the ISO/IEC Directives and, by extension, to comply with Clause 6.6.4, Part 2. Its policy is therefore to operate according to Alternative 3.1, i.e. directly refer to ISO 9000 without enumerating QMS requirements, when an International Standard on conformity assessment specifies quality management system (QMS) requirements.

(Note: Exstract from ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2

6.6.4 When a committee wishes to incorporate quality systems requirements in a standard for a product, process or service, the standard shall include a reference to the relevant quality systems standard (ISO 9001, ISO 9002 or ISO 9003).

It shall not add to, delete, change or interpret the requirements in the quality systems standard.

Any request for additions, deletions, changes or interpretations shall be submitted to the secretariat of ISO/TC 176/SC 2, Quality systems.

When the industry or sector terminology is sufficiently different, a document explaining the relationship between the quality assurance terminology and the sector terminology may be prepared.)

Policy on common elements in CASCO Standards

CASCO Standards shall be adequately coordinated to ensure that common elements in their texts have equivalent contents, unless there is justification for variations and/or deviations from the common elements.

In order to achieve this goal, the CASCO Chairman's Advisory Group (CAG), as part of its management task of reviewing and coordinating the work of the CASCO WGs, shall review the working drafts of CASCO Standards developed by the relevant CASCO WGs and make the necessary coordination with the relevant CASCO WG Convenors at appropriate development stages of the projects. Working drafts of CASCO Standards shall be endorsed by the CASCO CAG in terms of the adequacy of any included common elements before the relevant projects are moved to the Committee Stage (i.e. CD vote among the CASCO member bodies).