The IOAS maintains policies and procedures to apply sanctions when we observe non-compliance of certification bodies with the applicable norms of the scheme owner.
We use a range of defined sanctions to ensure certification bodies maintain compliance or quickly return to compliance.
Sanctions are applied in a generally progressive manner moving from light to severe which means that the same case, if unresolved, may be subject to a number of sanctions.
Typical sanctions include warning letters, termination of application, re-opened and/or recurrent conditions, intent to suspend which, if unresolved, leads to suspension and withdrawal of accreditation in the most serious cases.
Please note that a suspension sanction is a temporary restriction of all or part of the scope of the certification body’s accreditation. Once suspended, the certification body is required to inform their operators within the relevant scope of the suspension of its consequences within 7 days. In addition, a suspended certification body is required to continue carrying out inspections according to their annual inspection plan; however, no new applications may be accepted, and no certificates may be issued by the certification body to new applicants in process during the period of suspension.
When sanctions are applied, the certification body is allowed the opportunity to appeal during which time the sanction is not put into effect and is not made public.
To provide increased transparency of our accreditation service we are providing a list of the most recent sanction activity below.
Voluntary withdrawals are not shown on this page but are announced on our news posts. The current status of all certification body accreditations can be checked on our certification database.
Summary of Recent IOAS Suspensions and Withdrawals
CU Inspections & Certifications India Pvt. Ltd. (CU India) – March 3, 2023. IOAS suspended the accreditation of CU India for ISO/IEC 17065 (all scopes), GOTS (all scopes) and Textile Exchange (all scopes) and recommended suspension under COR for CAN/CGSB-32.312 (all categories) and grower group certification, following an unsuccessful appeal. On March 9, 2023 CFIA accreditation of CU India was suspended.
Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre Certification Ltd (HKORC) – February 24, 2023. IOAS suspended the accreditation of HKORC for ISO/IEC 17065 (aquaculture) and IFOAM (aquaculture), following an unsuccessful appeal.
Extensive Standard Technical Services Co. Ltd. – February 3rd, 2023 IOAS withdrew Extensive Standard Technical Services Co. Ltd. ‘s ISO/IEC 17065 and Textile Exchange accreditation and terminated their application for COR accreditation following an unsuccessful appeal this decision was upheld and withdrawal now takes immediate
Biocert International Pvt. Ltd. – September 23, 2022 IOAS withdrew Biocert international’s IFOAM and ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and suspended the recommendation for accreditation for COR and EU accreditation following Biocert’s failure to comply with previous sanctions and/or to resolve non-conformities. On October 21st 2022 CFIA formally withdrew Biocert’s COR accreditation.
Biocert International Pvt. Ltd. – May 31, 2022. IOAS suspended Biocert’s international IFOAM and ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and suspended the recommendation for accreditation for COR and EU accreditation.
Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA) – May 12th IOAS suspended their recommendation for ICEA’s COR accreditation. July 4th, 2022 following the end of the IOAS appeal notice period CFIA cancelled ICEA’s COR accreditation.
ALGI International Inc. – 22 June 2022, following an unsuccessful appeal IOAS withdrew ALGI’s Textile Exchange and ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation.
CCPB S.R.L. – May 25th, IOAS recommendations for suspension lifted, May 27th, CFIA COR suspension lifted.
LETIS S.A., Argentina – May 11th, 2022, following an unsuccessful appeal against the IOAS decision on March 3rd, 2022, IOAS withdrew LETIS’s ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and EU recommendations for accreditation for the country of Turkey. Please see LETIS accreditation page for details of all remaining accreditations and recommendations in full.
ACT Organic Company Ltd. – April 28th, 2022, IOAS lift the suspension of ACT Organic Company Ltd. COR, EU, IFOAM and ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and recommendation for accreditation. May 3rd, 2022 CFIA suspension lifted.
CCPB S.R.L. – CFIA COR accreditation was suspended as of April 19, 2022.
Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA) – April 1st, 2022 IOAS lifted the suspension of ICEA’s Textile Exchange and GOTS (categories 1-3) accreditation.
ACT Organic Company Ltd. – March 25th, 2022 the IOAS took the decision to suspend ACT Organic Company Ltd. COR, EU, IFOAM and ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and recommendation for accreditation. March 30, 2022 CFIA accreditation of ACT is suspended.
ALGI International Inc. – February 10th, 2022 IOAS suspended ALGI’s Textile Exchange and ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation.
OneCert International Pvt. Ltd. – October 8th, 2021, IOAS withdrew Onecert’s Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange accreditation for all countries. OneCert International disagree with this determination and have requested recourse to arbitration as is their right under their contract with IOAS. The arbitration process shall follow the procedures of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution. Please see Onecert’s accreditation page for details of all remaining accreditations and recommendations in full.
Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA) – October 8th, 2021 IOAS suspended ICEA’s Textile Exchange and GOTS (categories 1-3) accreditation.
Faircert Certification Services Pvt. Ltd. – November 1st, 2021, IOAS withdrew Faircert’s ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and recommendation for accreditation under the EU scheme.
Certificadora BIOTROPICO S.A.S., Colombia – July 5th, 2021, IOAS lifted the suspension of Biotropico’s ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and recommendation for accreditation under the COR and EU schemes.
Company of Organic Agriculture in Palestine (COAP) – July 5th, 2021, IOAS lifted the suspension of accreditation and recommendation for accreditation under the ISO/IEC17065 and EU schemes.
Faircert Certification Services Pvt. Ltd. – June 16th, 2021, IOAS suspended Faircert’s ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and recommendation for accreditation under the EU scheme.
Certificadora BIOTROPICO S.A.S., Colombia – March 16th, 2021, IOAS suspended Biotropico’s ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and recommendation for accreditation under the COR and EU schemes.
Vedic Organic Certification Agency (VOCA), India – January 29, 2021, VOCA voluntarily withdrew from accreditation and assessment for accreditation under the ISO/IEC17065 and EU schemes.
Company of Organic Agriculture in Palestine (COAP) – November 19th, 2020, IOAS suspended accreditation and recommendation for accreditation under the ISO/IEC17065 and EU schemes.
Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA), Italy – November 23rd, 2020, IOAS lifted the suspension on ICEA’s Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange accreditation.
Vedic Organic Certification Agency (VOCA), India – November 13th, 2020, IOAS suspended accreditation and recommendation for accreditation under the ISO/IEC17065 and EU schemes.
LETIS S.A., Argentina – November 13th, 2020, IOAS lifted the suspension accreditation and recommendations for a number of countries under the ISO/IEC17065 and EU schemes. Please see LETIS accreditation page for details of all accreditations and recommendations in full.
LETIS S.A., Argentina – October 19th, 2020, IOAS withdrew LETIS’s Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange accreditation for all countries. Please see LETIS accreditation page for details of all remaining accreditations and recommendations in full.
LETIS S.A., Argentina – September 10th, 2020, IOAS suspended LETIS’s Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange accreditation for all countries and suspended accreditation and recommendations for a number of countries under the ISO/IEC17065 and EU schemes. Please see LETIS accreditation page for details of all accreditations and recommendations in full.
LETIS S.A., Argentina – August 11th, 2020, IOAS suspended LETIS’s Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange (except for activity in Argentina and Peru) accreditation.
Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA), Italy – August 11th, 2020, IOAS suspended ICEA’s Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange accreditation.
Company of Organic Agriculture in Palestine (COAP), Palestine – March 21st, 2019, the IOAS took the decision to remove the suspension applied on February 7th regarding the accreditation of COAP’s ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and the recommendation for EU accreditation.
Company of Organic Agriculture in Palestine (COAP), Palestine – February 7th, 2019, the IOAS took the decision to suspend COAP’s ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and the recommendation for EU accreditation.
Bolicert, Bolivia – September 4th, 2018 the IOAS took the decision to withdraw Bolicert’s IFOAM and ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and the recommendation for EU accreditation. October 7, 2018, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) cancelled the accreditation of Boliviana de Certificación “Bolicert.”
Bioagricert srl, Italy – Global Organic Textile Standard accreditation of Bioagricert suspended as of July 12, 2018. On December 19th, 2018 Bioagricert decided to formally withdraw from the GOTS scheme.
Overseas Merchandise Inspection Co. (OMIC), Japan – The ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation suspended by the IOAS as of May 22, 2018 was lifted by decision of the IOAS Accreditation Committee on June 21 2018.
Overseas Merchandise Inspection Co. (OMIC), Japan – ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation suspended by the IOAS as of May 22, 2018.
Bolicert, Bolivia – The IOAS suspension of BOLICERT, Bolivia imposed on May 31, 2017 regarding their accreditations according to ISO/IEC 17065 were lifted by decision of the IOAS Accreditation Committee on August 25, 2017. A recommendation was passed to both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the European Commission Organic Unit to lift the suspensions that they imposed based on the IOAS decision who lifted the ban on December 14th 2017.
Bolicert, Bolivia – May 31, 2017. IFOAM & ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation suspended by the IOAS.
Certificadora Biotropico, Colombia – May 4, 2017. ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation with scope of Estandar de Buenas Practicas de Producción Ecológicas suspension lifted by the IOAS. May 5, 2017 CFIA lift suspension on COR accreditation.
Certificadora Biotropico, Colombia – December 23, 2016. ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation with scope of Estandar de Buenas Practicas de Producción Ecológicas suspended by the IOAS. December 28, 2016 CFIA suspend COR accreditation.
Etko Ekolojyk Tarim Kontrol Organizasyonu Ltd. Sti (ETKO) of Turkey – November 1st, 2016. Reapplication for accreditation assessment accepted by the IOAS for ISO/IEC 17065, COR and EU surveillance.
Uganda Organic Certification Ltd (Ugocert) of Plot 1272, Nsambya, P.O. Box 33743, Kampala, UGANDA – September 16, 2016. IFOAM accreditation and ISO/IEC 65 transference to ISO17065 and the EU surveillance contract withdrawn by the IOAS.
LETIS S.A. of Rosario, Argentina – August 24, 2016. The suspension of accreditation of the Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange Organic Content Standard lifted.
LETIS S.A. of Rosario, Argentina – July 26, 2016. Accreditation of the Global Organic Textile Standard and Textile Exchange Organic Content Standard suspended.
Etko Ekolojyk Tarim Kontrol Organizasyonu Ltd. Sti (ETKO) of Turkey – June 3, 2016. COR Accreditation cancelled by the CFIA based on a recommendation by IOAS.
Uganda Organic Certification Ltd (Ugocert) of Plot 1272, Nsambya, P.O. Box 33743, Kampala, UGANDA – June 2, 2016, the transfer of accreditation from ISO Guide 65 to ISO/IEC17065 and the EU surveillance contract suspended by the IOAS.
Etko Ekolojyk Tarim Kontrol Organizasyonu Ltd. Sti (ETKO) of Turkey – May 25, 2016, ISO 65 accreditation with scope of the IACB Equivalent European Union Organic Production and Processing Standard for Third Countries withdrawn by the IOAS.
Global Organic Agriculturist Association (GOAA) of 492-4, Dongho-dong, Bukku, Taegu City, South Korea- March 26, 2016 the IFOAM and IISO/IEC 17065 accreditation withdrawn by the IOAS.
