Arab Republic of Egypt Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade General Organization for Export and Import Control

Lieutenant General Engineer/ Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, headed the 39th meeting of the Board of Directors of Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC), in the presence of Engineer Hani El-Dessouky, Executive Director of EGAC, and members of the Council's Board of Directors. Engineer Essam El-Naggar, and Chairman of the General Organization for Export and Import Control.

At the beginning, the Minister emphasized EGAC's important as the only national body responsible for evaluating and accrediting conformity assessment bodies, including testing, calibration and medical analysis laboratories, inspection bodies, management systems certification bodies, product certification bodies, and individuals' certification bodies, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 312 of 1996.

Board of Directors' meeting witnessed the presentation of the Council's achievements report for 2024, whereas the number of entities accredited by the Council reached approximately (815) entities by the end of 2024. The Council's activities were also reviewed during the past period in various accreditation fields, and development rates of assessment and accreditation inside and outside Egypt. The Council obtained the International Recognition Accreditation in (10) different accreditation fields, that contributed significantly to the Council's spread in several foreign countries. The Council also expanded horizontally in 22 Arab, African and European countries and accredited (82) entities outside Egypt. It also expanded its accreditation fields which increased to (13) fields, including testing and calibration, medical analysis laboratories, management systems certification bodies, product certification bodies, individual certification bodies, biobanks, forensic medicine, halal certification, validation and verification, reference material producers, technical proficiency tests and inspection bodies, in accordance with International Standards of each field. 

The meeting also reviewed EGAC's future plans, as the Council aims to extend the International Recognition Field from the global organizations for accreditation in the fields of Reference Materials Producers (RMP), in addition to commencing procedures for the International Recognition of EGAC' in the field of biobanks with the European Accreditation Organization (EA), and doubling EGAC's activities outside Egypt to support international confidence in EGAC's performance, in addition to implementing EGAC's marketing plan by holding a number of seminars and introductory workshops under the auspices of the Minister of Industry in a number of governorates that include industrial clusters .

The Minister directed the necessity to adopt all necessary mechanisms to publicize EGAC's role considered as the principal entity in the accreditation field in Egypt to enhance confidence and quality in the Egyptian market. He pointed out the significance of building bridges of cooperation between EGAC and all international organizations concerned with control and inspection with the aim of ensuring the commitment of all entities in Egypt to apply the highest local and international quality standards in various fields, which will positively reflect the renaissance of the Egyptian economy, in addition to its impact on the streamline of trade movement and the opening of new export markets for Egyptian exports.

The Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport also stressed the need to qualify all certification bodies that issue quality, control and follow-up certificates, and to continue their training and supervision by EGAC on a regular basis, within the framework of promoting the quality system in all relevant institutions, either governmental or private sector, to provide products and services that live up to the aspirations of the Egyptians and achieve sustainable growth rates for the local economy. He pointed out the need to adopt all necessary mechanisms in coordination with the relevant authorities to further activate EGAC's role and work to promote the competitive capabilities of the national industry and enhance the national economy so that Egypt becomes, with its products and services, a global standard for quality and mastery in accordance with International and Global Systems and Standards. 

Lieutenant General Engineer/ Kamel El Wazir also praised mastery EGAC's recognition by the European Accreditation Organization (EA) in the field of accreditation of validation and verification bodies, considering it a pivotal step, especially within the framework of Egypt's transformation into a voluntary market for trading Carbon Footprint Certificates (CFC), as well as approaching implementation of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Furthermore, EGAC is the only accreditation body outside the European Union that has been recognized in the field of validation and verification. EGAC is the only accreditation body in the world that has been internationally recognized by international organizations and three regional accreditation organizations; The European Accreditation Organization, the African Accreditation Organization, and the Arab Accreditation Body.