General information on the certification of experts in accordance with ISO 17024

Status: March 2024

Acceptance value

Acceptance of ISO 17024 certification is steadily increasing, including among authorities and courts. The equal treatment of EWIVS Certification (EWIVS) experts certified in accordance with ISO 17024 with their publicly appointed colleagues is now common practice.

This became clear most recently in connection with last summer’s flood disaster. Initially, expert opinions for compensation payments were to be reserved for publicly appointed and sworn experts (ÖBUV). However, a ministerial decree dated June 14, 2021 states in excerpts

“[…] Expert opinions for damage in accordance with No. 4.3.3 and 6.3.3 a) of the NRW Reconstruction Funding Guideline must be verified by independent experts or an insurance company. These do not necessarily have to be state-appointed or sworn. The decisive factor is that the expert is suitably qualified to assess the damage. The same applies to appropriately qualified or certified persons (e.g. ISO 17024).”

This confirms the view that we at the EWIVS have held for a long time and which has also been repeatedly confirmed by several courts. For example, the Hechingen Regional Court ruled that certification in accordance with the ISO 17024 standard constitutes proof of expertise comparable to public appointment and is equivalent to this (Hechingen Regional Court, decision of 19.07.2017, Ref. 1 OH 19/15). The Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart dismissed the applicant’s appeal and confirmed the judgment of the Regional Court of Hechingen. The Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court also ruled accordingly in its judgment of 4 December 2012, case no. I-23 U 181/11.

NIILA accreditation of certification bodies

It should be noted in this context: The designation EN ISO/IEC 17024 stands for the German implementation of the international standard ISO/IEC 17024. An expert certified in accordance with ISO 17024 by an internationally operating certification body such as the EWIVS is equivalent to an expert certified in accordance with the national standard. A national accreditation of the certification body, e.g. by the NIILA, is not required according to the judgment of the Higher Regional Court of Cologne (judgment of 30.09.2015, Ref. 26 U 9/15).

Internationally recognized – throughout the EU and beyond

The ISO 17024 certification of the EWIVS is recognized as a personal certification and qualified professional qualification in a total of 165 member states of the International Organization for Standardization. It corresponds to national standards such as Önorm 17024 in Austria, NBN EN ISO/IEC 17024 in Belgium and ILNAS-EN ISO/IEC 17024 in Luxembourg, to name but a few.

Normative documents – Examination regulations – Compliance with rules

Certified experts in accordance with ISO 17024 from EWIVS are ideally positioned for the future. However, this requires correct and complete compliance with all the rules of ISO 17024, which is why we at the EEIGS have tightened up our examination regulations and rules of procedure. We must be able to prove at all times that every colleague fully meets the high requirements of ISO 17024 certification.

The EWIVS never acts arbitrarily, but implements the rules agreed in the certification contract and laid down in the normative documents and the examination regulations in a uniform and comprehensible manner.