GCI

General conditions for inspection activities performance (GCI)

Valid from 22.12.2022

§1 General

These conditions apply to the performance of inspection activities within the scope of the concluded contract for inspection activities by United Registrar of Systems Czech s.r.o. (hereinafter referred to as URS). Up-to-date certification schemes, where applicable, will be provided by URS on request. Any litigation is resolved in accordance with the laws of the Czech Republic.

§2 Obligations of URS

1. To perform of inspection activities in accordance with the certification scheme, conformity assessment module and/or internal procedures objectively, impartially and without discrimination at the highest level of professional integrity and the required technical expertise.
2. To conclude a contract for inspection activities at the customer's request or to notify him within twenty days of the conditions for performing the relevant actions.
3. In the inspection activities, to follow the specified technical regulations and make the findings objectively and impartially with the highest level of professional integrity and the required technical expertise.
4. In the event that URS detects that product, process or the management system does not meet the specified requirements, to ask the customer to take appropriate corrective measures.
5. To treat all information provided under the contractual relationship with the customer confidentially and to use it only for certification purposes. The information obtained will not be provided to any third party. This excludes the providing of information to the investigating authorities in criminal proceedings and, if requested by the investigating authorities, doing so without informing the customer. The customer may release URS from confidentiality for certain reasons.
6. To perform inspection activities according to the specified certification scheme and/or internal procedure. URS commits to informing the customer of any changes in these documents that directly concern him.
7. To keep a list of issued certificates and their validity and inform about their validity upon request.
8. To accept, resolve and decide on customer appeals and complaints about the inspection, certification and conformity assessment process in writing and inform the Impartiality Commission of these suggestions. If no agreement is reached between the customer and the URS, the Impartiality Commission shall decide on the involvement of the arbitration body. In case of complaints about the URS, the customer has the right to contact the Impartiality Committee directly.
9. To give the customer the opportunity to comment on the composition of the team of assessors appointed by the URS and to make possible rejecting any of them (e.g., due to competition, bias, etc.).

§3 Customer's obligations

1. To provide URS complete documentation relating to the product, process, management system, e.g., technical documentation for the product, welding quality manual, directives, etc., or other records on request, for storage or review at least 4 weeks before the start of the assessment or surveillance.
2. To enable URS assessors to assess the product, process or management system and subsequent supervision, resp. surveillance, which are the subject of a contractual relationship and to provide cooperation for its successful and complete implementation by access to their resources (workers, suppliers, technologies, workplaces, etc.). As part of the planned inspection activities, the customer will also allow access to external or internal URS observers (e.g., state administration bodies, the Czech Accreditation Institute, etc.).
3. To reject a proposed assessor who could jeopardise the impartiality of the inspection activity if such a fact is identified by him (e.g., if the proposed assessor has been active for the customer in the field of design, manufacturing, consultancy or offering the subject of certification in the last 24 months).
4. To maintain the technical documentation for the product, process, management system and, if required by the specified requirements of the control regulation, permanently apply the approved quality, management or production control system.
5. To issue statements relating to inspection activities only in accordance with the scope of the certificate, not to use the certificate or a reference to it in such a way as to discredit the URS and not to issue any declaration of certification that could be considered misleading or unauthorised by URS.
6. If the inspection activity includes authorization to use the CE marking, it must be visible, legible and permanent with the preservation of proportions and in accordance with the relevant EU regulations (Council Decision 93/465/EEC or for construction products according to EP and Council Regulation 305/2011) and must be related only to the certified product.
7. To inform URS of any changes that may affect the ability to meet the requirements of the regulations under which the product, process, management, quality or production management system has been assessed. These changes mean, for example, changes in organization, management, management in managerial and leadership positions affecting the quality and technology of production of the subject of assessment, etc.
8. To resolve complaints from their customers and document these solutions and submit to URS for review as part of the assessment, surveillance or at the request of URS.
9. To assert claims to inspection of a product, process or management system, quality or production management only to the extent for which the inspection activity was required and agreed upon.
10. To notify URS without delay of any changes or signs of such changes in their company that have a decisive relation to the inspection activity.
11. In the event of restriction, suspension or withdrawal of certification or certificates, to stop using any reference to such certificates (including in promotional materials and declarations) and proceed in accordance with the requirements of the certification scheme or internal procedures of URS (e.g. in the event of withdrawal of certification, all certification documents shall be returned).
12. In the case of providing copies of certification documents or certificates, to reproduce them only in their entirety.
13. To avoid using the reference to the certification, the certificate and the certification report in any misleading way.
14. To agree to publication of information about the possession, validity and scope of the certificate, including their identification data.
15. To pay agreed certification fees.

§4 Suspension, restriction, withdrawal of the certificate and declaring it as invalid

1. URS has the right, for the reasons set out in §4 paragraph 2, to decide to suspend, restrict or withdraw a certificate, or to declare it invalid. URS shall immediately inform the customer of this decision. In case of a withdrawal, the customer is obliged to return the original certificate to URS.
2. The validity of the certificate and the customer's right to use it or use it in its original scope shall expire with immediate effect on the date of the URS decision when:

• a) the stated period of validity of the certificate has expired and the customer has not requested an extension (re-certification),
• b) the customer fails to immediately notify URS of changes or signs of such changes in his company having a decisive relation to the inspection activity,
• c) the certificate is used in a prohibited manner,
• d) the result of the surveillance does not confirm the further validity of the certificate,
• e) the customer does not implement corrective measures or does not allow them to be checked,
• f) surveillance could not be carried out for reasons attributable to the customer,
• g) the customer's assets are declared bankrupt or a court decision to open bankruptcy is issued for lack of substance,
• h) the activity which is the subject of inspection activity, or the validity of a certificate, are prohibited by administrative or judicial proceedings.

§5 Duration of the contract

1. The contract for inspection activities enters into force upon signature between the two parties and ends upon expiry or termination of the certificate, withdrawal or termination of the contract. The contract may only be amended by written amendments signed by both parties. Termination of the contract by URS as a notified body is only possible in the event of the notified body decision to suspend, terminate or restrict the validity of the certificate.

§6 Invoicing, remuneration, travel, accommodation and catering costs

1. For the provision of inspection activities and in accordance with the individual stages of the inspection process, the remuneration set out in the applicable control contract or in its annex shall be agreed upon.
2. URS may invoice the customer for its services continuously during the cycle of inspection activities for individual stages, which are surveillance, re-certification, unannounced, additional inspection or audit or special inspection or audit.
3. The Customer undertakes to pay URS the remuneration for the provision of services under the Contract for inspection activities by the agreed due date by bank transfer to the URS account specified on the invoice. Any payment by the customer shall be deemed to have been paid on the day it is credited to the URS account. VAT will be added to each remuneration stated on the invoice at the rate set by the relevant VAT Act, which is valid on the date of taxable supply of the invoice.
4. The customer particularly agrees that the invoice issued by URS will be sent to the customer either in written or electronic form. Electronic form means primarily electronic mail, email, fax or public data network.
5. In the case of reimbursement of costs associated with the audit (travel, accommodation), these costs will be added to the invoice for the audit.
6. Unless otherwise agreed, the due date of all invoices is 14 days from the issue date of the invoice.