Version 2022.1 valid as from 24/1/2022 to 30/06/2022

Goal

COPRO sets up sectoral consultative bodies for the general technical management of certification in the different domains in which it is organised. These bodies are competent for the management and supervision of certification in a specific sector. These bodies are composed of all the parties that have a demonstrable interest in the management of certification in the sector concerned and represent this interest in a representative way.

Within the framework of certification under the COPRO-, COPRO.EXE- and NTMB-mark, these consultation bodies are called “advisory boards”. Within the framework of certification under the BENOR-mark, these consultation bodies are called “sectoral commissions”. The competences, composition principles and functioning of both are identical.

COPRO sends a letter to all above-mentioned parties. In this letter they are asked to delegate their representatives to sit on the relevant advisory board or sectoral commission, in accordance with what is stipulated below.

Tasks

An advisory board or sectoral commission gives a non-binding advice to the certification body on the scientific and technical operating principles based on the applicable standards, regulations and agreements.

The general technical issues that are part of the management of certification are handled by an advisory board or sectoral commission.

Within the framework of material proportionality, it must always be well justified why an advisory board includes certain requirements in the certification documents.

The following in particular belong to the competence of an advisory board or sectoral commission:

  • The handling of all general technical topics submitted to it,
  • Developing reference documents in the context of certification,
  • Developing regulations in the context of certification,
  • Determining which transitional period is applicable when applying amended reference documents and regulations,
  • Submitting those documents to COPRO’s management body for ratification.

For documents that are not ratified by COPRO’s management body, the reason for refusal must be communicated to the advisory board or sectoral commission. The advisory board or sectoral commission reviews these reasons, discusses and adapts the document if necessary. The document can then be made applicable.

Composition

The impartiality of each advisory board or sectoral commission is guaranteed by being composed of representatives of the following four groups and having respectively the following percentages:

  • Public institutions: 30 %,
  • Users (product certification) or executors (execution certification): 30 %,
  • Producers: 30 %,
  • Experts: research, normative, certifying and inspection organisations: 10 %.

This principled composition only applies to products or executions whose users or executors and producers do not belong to the same group.

Otherwhise, the distribution is:

  • Public institutions: 40 %,
  • Producers and users (product certification) or executors (execution certification): 40 %,
  • Experts: research, normative, certifying and inspection organisations: 20 %.

COPRO has the right to change the composition of the advisory board or sectoral commission.

Membership

The membership of an advisory board or sectoral commission is nominative, as is that of the alternate.

Only registered representatives (= actual members and/or their alternates) and any experts invited by the advisory board or sectoral commission may participate.

Acceptance of membership of any advisory board or sectoral commission shall be deemed to imply acceptance by the person concerned of the ruleset out herein relating to the functioning of the advisory board and sectoral commission.

The membership terminates in the following way:

  • the submission to COPRO of a resignation by the representative or by the legal person for whom he or she works,
  • by de facto dismissal as a result of death or permanent unavailability of the representative or due to the bankruptcy or cessation of activity of the legal person for whom he or she works,
  • by exclusion by COPRO for a well-founded reason or non-compliance with these rules, although the person concerned shall first be given the opportunity to justify himself in writing and, where, appropriate, orally, after being invited to do so by COPRO in a registered letter containing the justifications for such.

Each advisory board is chaired by the chairman or, if absent, by the vice-chairman. If both are absent the secretary shall chair the advisory board or the sectoral commission.

The chairman and the vice-chairman shall be elected among the members of the advisory board or sectoral commission for a period of 3 years. At the end of this period a new chairman or vice-chairman shall be elected the mandate tacitly renewed for a period of 3 years.

The members of an advisory board or sectoral commission exercise an unremunerated mandate and, as far as they act within the tasks described herein and disinterested aim of COPRO, do not assume any personal obligation.

COPRO shall be entitled to determinate the maximum number of representatives by group.

An advisory board or sectoral commission may be assisted by experts or observers who are not entitled to vote.

For COPRO, at least the Certification or Unit Manager participates in the meetings of the advisory board or the sectoral commission.

The names of all participants, as well as the capacity in which they participate in the meeting, are registered either through the attendance list or through electronic presence in the digital meeting application. By his/her presence, the representative agrees to this procedure.

COPRO foresees the possibility that representatives of the advisory board or sectoral commission can participate in a meeting not only physically, but also digitally.

Frequency

An advisory board or sectoral commissions meets after being convened by the chair or by at least two members of the advisory board or sectoral commission, by the secretariat, or meets on the date set by the advisory board or sectoral commission itself. For advisory boards or sectoral commissions that do not meet frequently, all members must be assessed at least once every 2 years to see whether a meeting is desired.

Voting

An advisory board or sectoral commission can only validly deliberate if at least three groups are represented.

The decisions of the advisory board or sectoral commission are taken by consensus. If this is not possible, the decisions are taken by a simple majority of votes. In the event of a tie, the chair decides.

The voting by default proceeds as follows:

  • Each group casts only 1 vote, with a value of 40, 30, 20 or 10%, as mentioned above.
  • In the event of a tie in 1 group, the group will abstain (if, for example, the producers abstain, the other groups will vote relative to 70% instead of 100%).

Agenda

Invitations to the meetings, possibly together with the agenda, are sent to the members of the advisory board or sectoral commission at least ten calendar days before the date of the meeting, unless urgent or unless the date is set in a previous meeting.

All documents that must be submitted to the advisory board or sectoral commission for approval form a permanent item on the agenda of the meetings.

Reports

COPRO acts as the secretariat for the advisory boards or sectoral commissions.

The minutes of this meeting will be sent to all members of the group within twenty working days after the date of the meeting. If no comments are made on the minutes within 10 working days, the minutes are considered approved.

The members of the advisory board or sectoral commission can also be consulted by circular letter (e-mail).

If approval is required, this is done in the same way as in a meeting, on the understanding that members who do not respond are deemed to agree to the proposal submitted. The circular letter is drawn up to this effect. The minutes of the consultation will be sent to all members within twenty working days after the conclusion of this consultation.

 The CEO reports to the management body on the activities of the advisory boards and sectoral commission.

Privacy

When all members agree, the digital meeting can be recorded (image and sound). In this case, the members are notified before the start of the recording. The image and sound recording will be stored by COPRO for a maximum of 3 months and only be used by the minutes secretary to prepare the minutes. All members of the advisory board or sectoral commissions undertake not to distribute this image or sound recording internally or externally under any circumstances.

This procedure is be referred to in the agenda for the meeting.

Specific provisions only for sectoral commissions

BENOR vzw entrusts the BENOR-mark to sectoral organisations (OSO) which manage the BENOR-mark and supervise the use of it, applied to the products, processes or services of a well-defined sector.

Within the OSO, sectoral commissions are set up which are competent for the management and the supervision on the use of the BENOR-mark in a well-defined sector.

The competent sectoral commissions decide by consensus on the introduction of the BENOR-mark for a certain product, process or service in the sector for which it is designated, they draft the technical reference documents on which the BENOR-mark is based, they monitor the functioning of the certification regulations and they supervise the certification, which may be partly or entirely outsourced to one or several certification bodies.

The reference documents and regulations drawn up by the sectoral commission are endorsed by the governing body and then submitted to VZW BENOR.