In order to ensure that TÜV SÜD objectively, impartially and independently carries out its certification, inspection and validation/verification activities, the General Manager specially makes the following commitments:
- For certification activities, our management system, which complies with requirements specified in ISO/ IEC17065:2012 and ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, provides guidance and regulations to activities of TÜV SÜD, and continually meets the standards and accreditation criteria by setting and implementing policies and objectives, carrying out internal and external audits, as well as taking corrective actions and preventive actions;
- Inspection activities shall be carried out impartially in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020:2012, in compliance with the provisions of laws and regulations, and in full implementation of the requirements of contracts, standards, methods and procedures, free from interference or influence of commercial, financial, administrative and other interests, so as to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the inspection results.
- Validation/verification activities shall be carried out impartially in accordance with ISO/IEC 17029:2019 and ISO 14065:2020. TÜV SÜD shall manage conflicts of interest to ensures objectivity and monitor validation/verification activities and its relationships to identify threats to its impartiality. If a threat to impartiality is identified, its effect shall be eliminated or minimized so that the impartiality is not compromised. TÜV SÜD shall be in compliance with the provisions of laws and regulations, and in full implementation of the requirements of contracts, standards, methods and procedures, free from interference or influence of commercial, financial or other pressures to compromise impartiality.
- TÜV SÜD undertakes the legal responsibilities of certification, inspection and validation/verification activities, purchases insurance to cover the possible certification, inspection and validation/verification risks, and provides necessary resources and conditions for certification and validation/verification activities;
- The management and other departments do not impose any inappropriate pressure or influence on our employees which could affect the impartiality of certification, inspection and validation/verification activities;
- Our employees who are involved in product or management systems certification or validation/verification activities must not engage in consultancy activities.
TÜV SÜD conducts impartiality risk assessment annually as well as the impartiality meeting. The output of impartiality meeting will be generated according to impartiality committee’s feedback. This is an independent committee made up of members representing our key interests.
