APPEALS

An appeal is a request made by the provider of a conformity assessment object to the conformity assessment body or the accreditation body to reconsider a decision made by that body regarding the object (LST EN ISO/IEC 17000:2020).

Appeals may be submitted by certified clients and applicants of the certification body regarding a negative decisionmade by the certification body. An appeal must be submitted within 30 working days from the date the decision was made.

The appeal must be submitted in writing to the head of the certification body, clearly stating the essence and justification of the appeal, along with contact details. Supporting documents (if any) must be attached to the appeal.

Upon request, the appellant must be given the opportunity to participate in the appeal review process.

No later than within 2 working days, the head of the certification body shall notify the appellant in writing about the registration of the appeal and its submission to the Impartiality Committee.

The Impartiality Committee consists of:

• clients of the certification body,

• clients of organizations whose management systems are certified,

• representatives of training institutions,

• representatives of government supervisory authorities,

• and representatives of UAB Sistemų registras.

Meetings of the Impartiality Committee to review the appeal must be held no later than 30 working days after the appeal has been received. If necessary, and upon a reasoned decision by the committee, the appeal review period may be extended by an additional 10 working days.

The head of the certification body shall inform the appellant in writing of the decision made by the Impartiality Committee.

COMPLAINTS

A complaint—unlike an appeal—is an expression of dissatisfaction by a person or organization to a conformity assessment body or accreditation body, expecting a response (LST EN ISO/IEC 17000:2020).

A complaint may be submitted to the certification body regarding:

• the activities of the certification body itself, or

• the activities of a client certified by the certification body.

The complaint must be submitted in writing, clearly stating the nature and justification of the complaint, and include contact information. Supporting documents (if available) should also be attached.

No later than within 2 working days from the receipt of the complaint, the certification body shall notify the complainant about the registration of the complaint and the planned follow-up actions.

The complaint must be investigated within 30 working days from the date of its registration. If necessary, and for justified reasons, the certification body may extend the review period by an additional 10 working days.

The head of the certification body shall inform the complainant in writing about the outcome of the complaint review and, if applicable, the planned further actions.

Complaints and Appeals