MOET

 

Law No. 572

Establishment of the Lebanese Accreditation Council

CONSEIL LIBANAIS D’ACCREDITATION (COLIBAC)

The Parliament has ratified; and

The President of the Republic promulgated the Law to read as follows:

Article 1:

Within the application of this Law, the following terms shall have the meanings stated beside them:

- Council: The Lebanese Accreditation Council

- Conformity Certificate: Certificate or statement of conformity of a certain quantity of specific products, services or works with particular technical specifications, conditions or requirements.

The conformity certificate shall be assessed and issued in accordance with officially approved procedures, conditions and standards. Additional conditions and standards may be requested under agreement between the concerned parties.

The conformity assessment may be conducted whether during the manufacturing of products, the provision of service, performance of the work or thereafter.

- Certificate of competence (for individuals).

- Certificate or statement issued by a specific authority proving that the holder thereof has received the necessary training and experience and has the necessary competence to carry out a specific work under particular conditions.

- Conformity Mark/Label: A special mark/label denoting the conformity of a specific product, service, work or production system with particular national standard specifications in a permanent manner. The mark/label is owned by a specific body that shall grant its right of use to the applicants according to the conditions specified by the body owning the mark/label and the applicable laws.

- Lebanese conformity mark/label: The mark/label owned by the Lebanese Standards Institution as per its establishment Law issued on July 23, 1962,

- Certification/Inspection Body (Awarding Body): A private or public office, company or establishment conducting the conformity assessment and issuing conformity certificates, certificates of competence or reports for granting the right to use a

　

specific conformity mark/label. The awarding bodies shall operate according to the applicable laws and shall be subject to the approval of the National Accreditation Body.

- Accreditation: Official recognition by a national accreditation body of the conformity awarding bodies, according to specific rules and standards.

- National Accreditation Body: A national body established in a country by virtue of the applicable laws and assuming alone, in such country, the accreditation of the awarding bodies and laboratories.

Article 2:

An establishment shall be created in Lebanon under the name of "Lebanese Accreditation Council", known in French by "Conseil Libanais d'accreditation", and abbreviated as "COLIBAC".

Article 3:

The Lebanese Accreditation Council shall have a legal personality and a financial and administrative independence, and shall be subject to the provisions of this Law and the provisions of the General Statute of public institutions, in all that is not set forth in this Law and directly related to the Ministry of Industry exercising the guardianship authority thereon. Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 8, it shall not be subject to the Civil Service Board, or to the prior supervision of the Court of Audit.

Article 4:

The Lebanese Accreditation Council shall alone assume the following tasks:

a) Accreditation of the following bodies:

- Public and private laboratories of all types except medical laboratories.

- The bodies awarding the conformity certificates as well as the marks/labels of conformity with the Lebanese and non-Lebanese specifications.

- Engineering offices conducting technical control and supervision works on the construction and facilities and on the installation and maintenance of equipment.

- The bodies awarding certificates of conformity with the Quality or Environmental Management System.　

- The bodies awarding competence and eligibility certificates to specialists and technical experts in the fields covered by the provisions of this Law.

b) Contribution to the raising of the level of services provided by the awarding bodies and local laboratories.

c) Representation of the State of Lebanon in international forums in the field of accreditation.

d) Working on the mutual recognition of the accreditation certificates with the foreign accreditation bodies.

Article 5:

First: The decision-making authority at the Council shall be assumed by a Board of Directors formed of ten members, including the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, representing the following sectors:

1- Ministry of Economy and Trade

2- Ministry of Industry

3- Ministry of Public Works

4- Ministry of Agriculture

5- Industrial Research Institute

6- Lebanese Standards Institution

7- Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture

8- Association of Lebanese Industrialists

9- Order of Engineers and Architects in Lebanon

10- University Professor in Engineering.

Second: The Council of Ministers shall appoint the members of the Board of Directors upon the suggestion of the concerned Ministers and shall nominate the Chairman and Deputy Chairman from among them.

The Board's period shall be of three years.

Article 6:

The executive authority at the Council shall be managed by the Director General, appointed by a Decree of the Council of Ministers, upon the suggestion of the Minister of Industry, based on the Decision of the Board of the Lebanese Accreditation Council.

Article 7:

The Director General shall be holder of a Masters Degree in Engineering branches or its equivalent of high-tech disciplines, with an experience of not less than ten years in laboratories, inspection and control.

Article 8:

The following Council's regulations shall be determined by Decrees issued by the Council of Ministers upon the suggestion of the Minister of Industry, within a period not exceeding four months after the effective date of this Law: The internal by-laws, the financial regulation, the employees' regulation, the cadre and the appointment conditions.

The appointment shall be through a competition conducted by the Civil Service Board according to the established conditions.

Article 9:

The revenues of the Lebanese Accreditation Council consist of the following:

1- Contribution from the State budget.

2- Various contributions, donations and aids.

3- Accreditation fees.

4- Any other resources associated with its activities.

Article 10:

The certificates and marks/labels of conformity with the Lebanese or foreign standard specifications, issued by the approved awarding bodies in Lebanon, shall be accepted by the Departments, public institutions and municipalities concerned with the control of application of the mandatory Lebanese standard specifications and the projects and purchases conditions, in all the sectors including the sectors of construction, food and chemical products.

Article 11:

All operating local and foreign institutions, companies, authorities, bodies, and laboratories handling the activities set forth in this Law shall be subject to the provisions thereof and shall not operate without an accreditation certificate from the Lebanese Accreditation Council.

Article 12:

The awarding bodies currently operating in Lebanon may proceed with their work temporarily provided that they submit all their files to the Lebanese Accreditation Council, within a period not exceeding three months from the date of announcing the commencement of the tasks of said Council, in order to be subjected to the necessary accreditation procedures.

These bodies shall comply with the Decisions of the Council issued in their regard.

Article 13:

The details of application of this Law shall be determined, when necessary, by Decrees issued by the Council of Ministers, upon the suggestion of the Minister of Industry, based on the Decision of the Board of Directors of the Lebanese Accreditation Council.

Article 14:

This Law shall enter into effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette.

Baabda, on the 11th of February 2004.

 

Promulgated by:

President of the Republic: Emile Lahoud

Prime Minister: Rafic Hariri