The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in December 1970 by the executive order of President Richard Nixon. It is an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the EPA is responsible for creating standards and laws promoting the health of individuals and the environment.

EPA manages several programs that certify technicians, service locations, laboratories or products. The page contains an automatically-generated list of EPA webpages that include the word “certification” in the title. Entries are listed with the most recently updated pages at the top.

NOTE: Some certification programs are delegated to state authorities and/or authorized testing organizations. If you do not find the information you need below, please reach out to your state authority. 

EPA works to ensure that:

• Americans have clean air, land and water;
• National efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information;
• Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended;

ISO 9001 is defined as the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.Building on the success of BS5750, the ISO 9001 standard was developed by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) to extend the reach of Quality Management to an international audience. This was agreed and adopted, and first published in 1987.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is the regulatory, scientific, public health andconsumer protection agency responsible for ensuring all human and animal drugs, medical devices,cosmetics, foods, food additives, drugs and medicated feeds for food producing animals, tobacco andradiation emitting devices safe, and effective.FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) is the lead office for all agency regulatory activities. ORAsupports the six FDA product centers by inspecting regulated products and manufacturers, conductingsample analyses on regulated products, and reviewing imported products offered for entry into theUnited States. In addition to executing its mission through its federal workforce, ORA also works withthe FDA Centers, who develop FDA wide policy on compliance and enforcement and ORA executes theannual commodity work plans. Over 5,000 ORA employees located in district offices, resident posts, and2laboratories, strategically located throughout the United States perform inspections and investigations(including criminal investigations), wharf exams, sample collections and analyses, and carry outenforcement activities, education, and outreach directly to consumers, industry representatives,importers, and shippers as well as other stakeholders across the nation. ORA also works with its federal,state, local, tribal, territorial, and foreign counterparts to further the agency’s mission. ORA is led by theAssociate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs (ACRA).

The Conformité Européene (CE) Mark is defined as the European Union’s (EU) mandatory conformity marking for regulating the goods sold within the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1985. The CE marking represents a manufacturer’s declaration that products comply with the EU’s New Approach Directives. These directives not only apply to products within the EU but also for products that are manufactured in or designed to be sold in the EEA. This makes the CE marking recognizable worldwide even to those unfamiliar with the EEA.

A CE Mark is a symbol that must be affixed to many products before they can be sold on the European market. The mark indicates that a product:

• Fulfills the requirements of relevant European product directives
• Meets all the requirements of the relevant recognized European harmonized performance and safety standards
• Is fit for its purpose and will not endanger lives or propertyThe presence of CE marking further indicates that appropriate technical documentation supporting the use of the mark is available and can be providedby the manufacturer, importer, or person responsible for placing the product on the EU market upon request.

CE marking does not provide any specific information to the consumer. It is not a declaration, it does not show evidence of third-party testing, and it should not be confused with any independent certification mark of the type issued by international or European notified test bodies.

Certain directives include an option for the responsible organization to provide a declaration of conformity stating that a product fulfills the requirements of the applicable directives. However, if challenged, the appropriate evidence must be supplied to support the self-declaration claim. Other directives, particularly those pertaining to products affecting health and/or safety, such as pressure vessels, will require a specific certificate from a notified body.Affixing a CE Mark to a product is considered a means to certify for authorities within the EU member states that the product meets all appropriate EU requirements.There is an EU requirement that products not in conformity with the provisions of the directives are not allowed to circulate in the territories of the member states; appropriate action should be taken to remove these products from sale and use within the specific state. One example is the recent import of toys from China to the UK which, when examined, were found to contain a high level of poisonous toxins that endanger life.The importer and/or manufacturer must take steps to comply with safety provisions, produce the appropriate records, and decide on the necessary procedures to maintain production in conformity with directives. The CE Mark must be affixed to demonstrate conformity with the provisions of the directives.

Verification URL: Sedexglobal.com

FSC, the Forest Management Committee is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting global socially responsible forest management. It was established in 1993, and its initiators are international people who want to prevent forest destruction.FSC forest management certification confirms that the forest is being managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring it sustains economic viability. FSC-certified forests are managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards. There are ten principles that any forest operation must adhere to before it can receive FSC forest management certification. These principles cover a broad range of issues, from maintaining high conservation values to community relations and workers’ rights, as well as monitoring the environmental and social impacts of the forest management. 

FSC chain of custody certification verifies that FSC-certified material has been identified and separated from non-certified and uncontrolled material as it makes its way along the supply chain, from the forest to the market.

Any company involved in the processing or transformation of FSC-certified products (e.g. manufacturing, repackaging, pack-splitting, relabelling, cutting to size or adding other forest-based components to the product) must be FSC certified in order to apply an FSC label to their products and/or sell them with an FSC claim.