PCA among the first six signatories of the EA MLA for biobanks — accreditations to ISO 20387 now mutually recognised in Europe
On 2 October 2026 the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA) announced that the scope of its EA MLA signatory status has been extended to the accreditation of biobanks to ISO 20387. The decision was taken by the EA Multilateral Agreement Council (EA MAC) at its meeting on 30 September, at which it launched the EA MLA for biobanks.
- According to EA, the 55th EA MAC meeting took place on 30 September in Roissy, France (PCA says “in Paris”), attended by 59 participants from 42 national accreditation bodies. The first signatories of the EA MLA for biobanks (EN ISO 20387) are ACCREDIA (Italy), EGAC (Egypt), NA (Norway), PCA (Poland), RvA (the Netherlands) and UKAS (United Kingdom).
- ISO 20387 sets requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of biobanks — facilities that acquire, prepare, store, test and distribute biological material together with associated data — including quality control requirements. In February EA had said the agreement would be launched once at least two accreditation bodies had been successfully peer-evaluated in this field.
- The way was opened by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/375, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 23 February 2026: EN ISO 20387:2020 with amendment A11:2024 became a harmonised standard under Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 on accreditation. Its reference had not been published before because Annex Z was missing — CEN added it in amendment A11.
- At the same meeting Armenia’s ARMNAB became an EA MLA signatory for calibration, testing (EN ISO/IEC 17025) and management system certification, and Montenegro’s ATCG remains a signatory for calibration, testing (EN ISO/IEC 17025, including medical examinations to EN ISO 15189), inspection (EN ISO/IEC 17020) and product certification (EN ISO/IEC 17065). The next EA MAC meeting is scheduled for 18 May 2027 in Tbilisi.