Suspension, withdrawal and reduction of certification
Rules applied by D.A.S. Certification to the suspension, restoration, reduction of scope and withdrawal of certification.
Last updated: 4 November 2026
1. General
Decisions on granting, maintaining, suspending, reducing and withdrawing certification are the exclusive responsibility of D.A.S. Certification and are taken impartially by persons who did not perform the audit.
2. Suspension (maximum 6 months)
Certification may be suspended when:
- surveillance or recertification audits are not carried out within the required time;
- nonconformities are not closed within the agreed deadline (normally 30 days);
- the certified management system has persistently or seriously failed to meet requirements, including the effectiveness of the system;
- reliable public information shows serious problems;
- operations are suspended by a judicial authority;
- regulatory irregularities or revocation of licences or authorisations occur;
- serious environmental or health and safety violations occur;
- the certificate or marks are misused;
- the contract is breached, including non-payment of fees;
- the organisation becomes insolvent;
- the organisation voluntarily requests suspension in writing.
- Notification and effects
- Suspension is notified in writing (e-mail). During suspension the certification is temporarily invalid and the organisation must not promote it. The register of certified organisations is updated.
3. Restoration
Suspended certification is restored when the issues have been resolved within the suspension period, as verified by D.A.S. Certification, if needed through an additional audit.
4. Reduction of scope
The scope is reduced to exclude the parts that do not meet requirements when the organisation has persistently or seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope. The reduction is in line with the requirements of the standard and is notified in writing; the certificate is reissued.
5. Withdrawal
Certification is withdrawn when:
- the issues that caused the suspension are not resolved within 6 months;
- contractual non-compliance or refusal of audits continues;
- the organisation no longer exists at the declared address or has ceased the certified activity;
- it is decided by the Decision-Making Body, including on the recommendation of the audit team or of the Impartiality Committee;
- the organisation requests it (effective from its written communication).
6. Obligations after withdrawal
- Stop using the mark and any reference to certification;
- return the certificate;
- inform customers and suppliers where relevant;
- settle any outstanding fees.
7. Publication
Suspension, reduction and withdrawal are recorded in the register of certified organisations, reflected on the Verify certificate page, communicated to NAH for accredited certifications, and made available on request.
8. Appeal
The organisation may appeal against these decisions within 90 days of the official notification.
Source document: D.A.S. Certification Agreement, Rev. 2.