ISO/IEC 17030:2021

Overview

ISO/IEC 17030:2021 - "Conformity assessment - General requirements for third‑party marks of conformity" defines general requirements for the issue, control and use of third‑party marks of conformity. It covers marks in all forms and media, including electronically stored and displayed marks, machine‑readable codes, QR codes, blockchain/distributed ledger representations and other digital means. The standard aims to increase market confidence, reduce misuse, and ensure clear, traceable statements of conformity based on a conformity assessment scheme that includes surveillance.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and intent
  • Applies to third‑party marks (including accreditation marks) that indicate an object meets specified requirements; excludes mere designations, codes or association logos.
• Design and anti‑misuse
  • Marks shall be designed to minimize counterfeiting and misuse; digital solutions (QR, e‑label, blockchain) are explicitly recognized as mitigation/communication tools.
• Transparency and information
  • Issuers/owners must provide accessible information explaining the mark’s meaning, scope and the aspects covered (e.g., safety, quality, environmental).
• Traceability and accuracy
  • Marks must be traceable to the specified requirements applied and used only when they relate to all specified requirements for the assessed object.
• Application rules
  • Product marks must be directly applied to each product where feasible; otherwise packaging or accompanying information is allowed with safeguards to avoid misunderstanding.
  • Non‑product marks (e.g., management systems) must not be presented on products in a way that implies product conformity.
• Conformity assessment scheme & surveillance
  • Issuing marks must be based on a publicly available conformity assessment scheme aligned with the functional approach of ISO/IEC 17000 and include surveillance (except for 100% pre‑application product evaluation).
• Ownership, licensing and control
  • Owners must legally protect marks, publish rules for use, maintain licence agreements, monitor use, handle complaints and take action on misuse.

Applications and who uses it

• Conformity assessment bodies and certification/accreditation organizations implementing or issuing third‑party marks.
• Standardization and accreditation authorities developing mark rules and surveillance programs.
• Manufacturers, suppliers and brand owners applying marks on products, labels, packaging or digital media.
• Regulators, procurement authorities and purchasers relying on trustworthy marks to demonstrate compliance.
• Digital service providers enabling machine‑readable codes, blockchain records or e‑labelling for traceable conformity data.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 17000 (Conformity assessment - Vocabulary and general principles) - normative reference used to align terms and the functional approach.
• Guidance in Annex A of ISO/IEC 17030 provides practical advice for use of marks issued under conformity assessment standards.

Keywords: ISO/IEC 17030:2021, third‑party marks of conformity, conformity assessment, accreditation mark, surveillance, digital marks, blockchain, QR code, traceability, licensing.