CERTIFICATION SUSPENSION, WITHDRAWAL AND LIMITATION PROCEDURE

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this procedure is to determine the methods and responsibilities to be applied related to the suspension or withdrawal of the certification.

2. DEFINITIONS

Certification Committee: It is a committee appointed by the General Manager. It is entitled to total decision-making related to certification by evaluating the reports to the audits.

3. RELATED DOCUMENTS AND REFERENCES

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4. APPLICATION
   • The Suspension of Certification

The certification is suspended by not exceeding (6) six months if the following conditions occur:

• If the certified management system of the customer body cannot consistently or substantially meet the certification requirements including the requirements of the management system activity,
• If the certified customer body does not allow supervision or recertification audits to be performed at the required frequency,
• If the certified customer body voluntarily requests for temporary suspension,
• Failure to comply with the rules of certification,
• Non-payment of audit fees.

In the event of a recommendation to suspend the certification as a result of the audits, the decision of suspension is taken by the Certification Committee. The suspension of the certification is notified in writing to the relevant customer body within 1 week following the receipt of the decision.

In other cases, the decision of suspension of the certification is taken by the Certification Manager. The suspension of the certification is notified in writing to the relevant customer body within 1 week following the receipt of the decision.

In the suspension, the certificate of the customer body management system is temporarily invalid. In case of suspension, FC-GLOBAL guarantees that the customer body does not promote/advertise its certification with the contract made.

In cases that the customer body is determined not to comply with this, a written warning is given and if required the legal measures are taken. IFC-GLOBAL may take all other measures it deems appropriate including publishing the suspension on the web or in media.

In case that the customer body consistently or substantially fails to meet the requirements of the certification for a part of the scope of the certification, IFC-GLOBAL may restrict the scope of certification of the customer body to exclude parts that do not meet the requirements. In such a restriction, the compliance with the requirements of the standard used for certification shall be taken into account.

If the problems causing the suspension cannot be resolved within the period provided by IFC-GLOBAL, the certification shall be withdrawn or the appropriate scope is restricted.

• The Removal of the Suspension of Certification

In case that the customer bodies whose certification is suspended notify of IFC-GLOBAL in writing that the justifications of the suspension are removed, the suspension process is canceled.

For this purpose, an audit is made at the client institution by the IFC-GLOBAL for the confirmation related to the removal of the justification of suspension.

At the end of the audit, the suspension status of certification of the client institution, whose convenience is confirmed, is canceled.

If the justifications of the suspension are not removed, the certification is withdrawn or the scope is appropriately reduced.

The client is notified of the removal of the suspension of the certification in writing within 1 week after the decision is taken.

• The Withdrawal of Certification

The certification is withdrawn in the following situations:

• At the request of the client organization,
• In the case of closing down or bankruptcy of the client organization, or termination of activity which is within the scope of the certification,
• If the customer organization ceases the production/service that is within the scope of certification,
• In the case of the client organization’s disapproval of terms regarding the suspension,
• If the client organization fails to improve the conditions related to the suspension,
• In the case of client organization’s disapproval for follow-up audit at the end of suspension term,
• If the client organization fails to improve the non-conformities specified in the follow-up audits conducted for the cancellation of the suspension status on time,
• In the case of misleading and/or unfair use of the certificate in different areas beyond the scope of the certification by the client organization,
• If the client organization is not present at the address specified in the certificate,
• In the case of falsification of certificates and their attachments by the client organization,
• If the client organization refuses the surveillance audit,
• In case of any other situation where the integrity of the certificate or audit process is seriously compromised

If the client organization’s certification has not applied for the follow-up audit within (6) six months after the suspension of the certificate, its certification is withdrawn with the decision of the Certification Manager.

In case of the withdrawal of the certification, the customer body is required to fulfill the following obligations guaranteed by the contract:

• Cease using the certificate and the logo of IFC-GLOBAL,
• Waiving of any right within the scope of the withdrawn certification,
• Payment of unpaid certification and audit fees.

Following the withdrawal of the certification (1) within one month, the customer body must remove the logo from any correspondence and promotional material. Otherwise, IFC-GLOBAL shall do the following;

• It shall announce to TÜRKAK and other certification institutions that the certification has been withdrawn,
• It shall announce to the various media organs that the customer body has illegally used by means of breach of the contract rules,
• It shall take legal actions in order to eliminate material and nonmaterial damages that may arise.

If the certification of one or more management system standard/s is discussed because of the temporary suspension, restriction, or withdrawal, IFC-GLOBAL investigates the impact of certification of other management system standards. In the consequence of the investigation, it may decide on the certification of other management standard/s to be temporarily suspended, reduced, or withdrawn.

• Reducing The Scope of the Certification

The certification scope shall be reduced in the following situations:

• If IFC-GLOBAL proves that its client has a certificate that exceeds their scope or capacity to meet the requirements of the scheme, it reduces the scope of the certificate accordingly.
• IFC-GLOBAL does not exclude activities, processes, products or services from the scope of certification if these activities have an impact on the food safety of the final products defined within the scope of certification.
• At the request of the client organization.
• Reducing the scope of the certification: If IFC-GLOBAL proves that its client has a certificate that exceeds their scope or capacity to meet the requirements of the scheme, it reduces the scope of the certificate accordingly. IFC-GLOBAL does not exclude activities, processes, products or services from the scope of certification if these activities have an impact on the food safety of the final products defined within the scope of certification.

• Suspension, Withdrawal And Reducing The Scope

• In the case of suspension or withdrawal, the management system certification of the organization is invalid.

IFC-GLOBALshall complete the following actions within 3 working days after the certification decision has been made:

1. Change the status of the certified organization in the Portal and its own Register of certified organizations and shall take any other measures it deems appropriate;
2. Inform the organization in writing of the suspension or withdrawal decision;
3. Instruct the organization to take appropriate steps in order to inform its interested parties..

• In case of a reduction in the scope, the client’s management system certification is invalid except for the revised certificate coverage statement.

IFC-GLOBALshall complete the following actions within 3 working days after the certification decision has been made:

1. Change the scope of the certified organization in the FSSC 22000 database and its own Register of certified organizations and shall take any other measures it deems appropriate;
2. Inform the organization in writing of the scope change;
3. Instruct the organization to take appropriate steps in order to inform its interested parties.