The Appeal Committee is authorised to handle appeals against the decisions taken by COPRO. The Appeal Committee acts in a completely autonomous manner. 

  1. Composition
    1. Persons who were responsible for the decisions against which an appeal is lodged may not form part of the Appeal Committee.
    2. The Chairman of the COPRO Board of Directors assembles an Appeal Committee according to the appeal to be handled. It is made up of 2 representatives of the public institutions and 2 representatives of the users. Furthermore, each member of the Appeal Committee can be assisted by an expert.

  2. Rules
    Everybody taking part in the meetings of the Appeal Committee shall be subject to rules - agreement to be confirmed in writing - of absolute secrecy and confidential handling of all information obtained on the one hand as well as of utter integrity, impartiality and objectivity in all actions on behalf of COPRO on the other hand. 

  3. Procedures
    1. Experts can attend the meetings of the Appeal Committee but do not have any voting rights. The Appeal Committee reaches decisions by way of a majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the public institutions shall prevail.
    2. Each appeal procedure consists of 2 parts:
      - considerations,
      - questions of substance 

  4. Considerations
    The considerations comprise:
    1. Informing the party lodging the appeal by registered mail with regard to the admissibility of the appeal.
      Reasons for inadmissibility include:
      - not sending the appeal by registered mail,
      - not mentioning the subject of the appeal, 
      - not setting out the grounds of the appeal. 
    2. Sending a registered letter to invite the petitioner to appear and be heard before the Appeal Committee at a certain time and place.

  5. Questions of substance
    1. The questions of substance for the Appeal Committee comprise:
      1. Listening to the explanation of the party lodging the appeal.
      2. Evaluation of this explanation in the light of all the information available.
      3. Deliberation and separate vote on the decision to be taken. The Appeal Committee has the duty to check whether the certification committee made the right decision. The Appeal Committee has the final decision.
      4. Serving the decision on the party lodging the appeal by registered mail.
    2. The Appeal Committee can itself impose sanctions within the regulatory framework.
    3. No further appeal is possible against the decision of the Appeal Committee, unless by way of legal action, and is immediately enforceable.


A copy of the entire procedure can be obtained from COPRO by way of a written request.