Applicant rights
Non-discriminatory access — Any entity whose activity falls within the scope of IRICE accreditation may submit a certification application (§4.4).
Prior information — The applicant is informed, before contracting, of the assessment process, fees, estimated timeframes and general certification conditions.
Confidentiality — Information provided as part of the application is treated confidentially (§4.5).
Right of appeal — In the event of refusal, suspension or withdrawal of certification, the applicant or client may exercise their right of appeal under the conditions set out in the complaints and appeals procedure.
Notification of changes — IRICE informs its clients of any changes affecting the certification process, standards or certification conditions, within a reasonable timeframe to allow adaptation.
Obligations of the applicant and client
Ongoing compliance — The client undertakes to continuously meet certification requirements, including those resulting from changes to the standards.
Cooperation — The client facilitates access to sites, documents and personnel required for assessments, inspections and surveillance audits.
Accurate information — The applicant undertakes to provide accurate and complete information. Any inaccurate information may lead to refusal, suspension or withdrawal of certification.
Financial obligations — The client undertakes to pay certification fees in accordance with the conditions agreed in the contract.
Reporting changes — The client promptly informs IRICE of any significant change affecting the certified product, its production conditions or implementation.
Use of the mark and certificate
Permitted uses
The certified client is authorised to use the certificate and the Effinature (or BPS, depending on the programme) mark in their commercial communications, subject to the following conditions:
Prohibited uses
Reference to Cofrac accreditation
Certified clients may not make direct reference to the Cofrac accreditation of IRICE in their own communications. Only IRICE is authorised to use the accreditation statement under the conditions defined by Cofrac.
The client may, however, state that their certification was issued by IRICE, an accredited body, by referring to the IRICE website or the Cofrac website for verification.