Last year in November JAB (Japan Accreditation Body) ordered to suspend ISO assessment activities of the two Japanese certification bodies. (2002.Jan,3w)

Two bodies are JET (for ISO9000) and ISC (for ISO14001). Reasons of the suspension were not publicly disclosed by JAB.

But as for ISC some rumors said that ISC had did unfair assessments due to poor quality of assessors.The governor of Mie prefecture has made regulations to force to take ISO14001 registrations for suppliers. On the other hand he set up a certification body (ISC) to help the suppliers take the certifications and he became its president.

Now the governor became both poacher and gamekeeper. Naturally in Mie prefecture needs to get ISO4001 had rapidly increased in its suppliers and it had resulted in increase of poor quality of assessors. But ISC had made great profit.Then the suspension from JAB came in November.The governor apologized at the prefecture assembly.

JAB's positive attitudes to stop unfair assessment are said to be due to new appointment of Mr.Okuda, ex-president of Toyota as a member of committee of JAB.