The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and Sweden’s accreditation authority, Swedac, have agreed on a framework allowing UK-based conformity assessment bodies to undergo accreditation assessments locally while retaining access to selected European Union regulatory schemes. The agreement was unveiled at the Global ACI Annual Meetings in Panama on 26 October 2026 and initially covers the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III).
Under the arrangement, UKAS will conduct accreditation assessments of verification and certification bodies based in the United Kingdom on behalf of Swedac. Swedac will remain the EU-based authority responsible for granting accreditation.
The agreement establishes a route for UK conformity assessment bodies (CABs) to meet relevant EU requirements without the additional costs and delays that can arise when assessment teams must be brought in from abroad.
EU accreditation rules underpin the agreement
Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 requires conformity assessment bodies participating in certain verification and certification programmes to be accredited by an EU-based accreditation body. The UKAS-Swedac framework addresses this requirement by separating the conduct of assessments from the authority responsible for granting accreditation.
The two organisations intend to maintain the rigour of accreditation assessments while making the process more accessible to UK-based CABs. The arrangement combines assessments conducted locally by UKAS with recognition through Swedac, enabling eligible bodies to participate in the covered EU schemes.
CBAM and RED III among the initial schemes
The agreement’s initial scope includes CBAM, which is designed to address carbon leakage by placing a comparable carbon cost on imports. Carbon leakage occurs when carbon-intensive production shifts to countries with less stringent carbon constraints, potentially undermining domestic decarbonisation efforts.
The second scheme, RED III, establishes EU sustainability and greenhouse-gas requirements for renewable energy, including crops used in biofuel production. The Directive also seeks to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy through targets for the share of energy derived from renewable sources by 2030.
Both frameworks depend on reliable, verifiable information and therefore specify the use of accredited certifiers and verifiers. Accreditation provides assurance about the accuracy and integrity of submitted data and supports confidence in regulatory compliance.
For UK-based conformity assessment bodies, access to these schemes creates opportunities to provide services within markets governed by EU requirements. The agreement is intended to facilitate that access while maintaining confidence among businesses, regulators and the public in accredited conformity assessment services.
UKAS and Swedac highlight trade facilitation
Matt Gantley, UKAS chief executive, said the agreement strengthened cooperation between the two accreditation organisations and demonstrated their commitment to practical solutions for market access.
Gantley said the framework would reduce unnecessary duplication and provide value for conformity assessment bodies by combining the convenience of local assessments with EU-wide recognition, without weakening the robustness of accreditation procedures. He also highlighted the role of accredited services in maintaining confidence in quality and integrity while lowering barriers to trade.
Alexandra Wilton Wahren, Swedac director general, said the cooperation was intended to translate mutual trust into practical arrangements supporting trade. She said enabling UK conformity assessment bodies to obtain accreditation against EU requirements for CBAM and RED III would benefit businesses on both sides and strengthen confidence in the movement of goods between the United Kingdom, Sweden and the wider EU market.
Further accreditation schemes under consideration
The UKAS-Swedac agreement currently covers assessments relating to CBAM and RED III. Both organisations are working towards expanding its scope to include additional schemes that require accreditation by an EU-based body while allowing conformity assessment bodies established outside the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) to be recognised.
Any expansion would build on the initial framework for UK-based verification and certification bodies seeking to meet the accreditation requirements associated with the covered European regulatory schemes.
