Changes in the Scope of the IAF MLA During 2023

2023 witnessed a significant increase in the size of the IAF MLA. 10 private sector schemes were endorsed as new IAF MLA sub-scopes:

• BRC Global Standard – Food Safety Issue 8 (9)
• BRC Global Standard – Agents and Brokers Issue 3
• BRC Global Standard – Packaging Materials Issue 6
• BRC Global Standard – Storage and Distribution Issue 4
• BRC Global Standard – Gluten Free Certification Program, Issue 3
• BRC Global Standard – Consumer Products – Personal Care and Household, Issue 4
• BRC Global Standard – Consumer Products – General Merchandise, Issue 4
• IFS Food Version 7 (8)
• IAQG Industry Controlled Other Party (ICOP) Certification Scheme
• GLOBALG.A.P. PHA General Regulations V1.0

Additionally, the scheme endorsement agreement for IPC Management System Auditors was renewed.

At the end of 2023, 08 private schemes were under evaluation against the requirements of IAF PL3 Policies and Procedures on the IAF MLA Structure and for Expansion of the Scope of the IAF MLA:

• WSO Friend of the Sea Certification Scheme
• FSSC 24000 certification scheme
• IFS PACsecure V3
• ECCP Europrivacy scheme
• IFS Logistics Certification Scheme V3
• IFS Broker scheme V3.2
• GLOBALG.A.P. IFA version 06
• BRC GS Ethical Trade and Responsible Sourcing issue 2.1

The following public schemes were under review at the end of 2023:

• ISO 37001:2016 – Anti-bribery management systems (as a level 5 sub-scope)
• ISO 37301:2021 – Compliance management systems – requirements with guidance for use (as a level 5 sub-scope)

Transitions

The transition period for ISO 50003:2021 ended on 30 November 2023, in accordance with IAF MD 24.

The IAF MLA transition to ISO/IEC 17029:2019 – Conformity assessment – General principles and requirements for validation and verification bodies remained in progress, with endorsed schemes and signatory ABs required to transition to that standard by 30 June 2024. The transition process for RAGs was approved by the General Assembly by IAF Resolution 2023-27, allowing applications for transitions to be progressed.

Other transition processes underway at the end of 2023 included the following:

• ISO 14065:2020 – General principles and requirements for bodies validating and verifying environmental information – 3 years (IAF Resolution 2019-19) end of 31 December 2023 – extended to 30 June 2024
• ISO/IEC 27001:2022 – Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection – Information security management systems – Requirements – IAF MD 26 – 31 October 2025
• ISO 22003-1:2022 – Food safety – Part 1: Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of food safety management systems – IAF MD 27 – 30 June 2025

Annex 1 shows the status of the IAF MLA at the end of 2023. The current status of the IAF MLA is available in IAF MLA Status.

The IAF MLA Status document can be found in the ‘About the IAF MLA’ section of the IAF website: https://iaf.nu/en/about-iaf-mla/