Impartiality Policy

FVR acts, and is seen to act, impartially across all of its personnel certification (ISO/IEC 17024) and management system certification (ISO/IEC 17021-1) activities. Decisions rest exclusively on objective evidence and are not influenced by commercial, financial, personal or political interests.

Applies to all FVR personnel (in-house employees, internal auditors, subcontracted external auditors, assessors, committee members, shareholders, contractors) and to every activity of the body: scheme design, assessment, decision, surveillance (FSA/SA), recertification (RA), transfer (TA) and communication.

FVR and its personnel will NOT:

1. Provide consultancy on management systems to clients the certification body certifies, will audit, or is in the process of certifying. This includes design, implementation, advice on closing nonconformities, and training aimed specifically at passing audits.
2. Perform internal audits of the management system of a certified client or a client seeking certification.
3. Design or implement a client's management system.
4. Promise faster, easier or cheaper certification if a specific consultant is hired.
5. Engage in joint marketing with consultants who provide services to the certification body's clients.
6. Accept gifts, hospitality or payments exceeding the token value defined in the anti-bribery policy.

• Annual impartiality risk analysis
• Impartiality Safeguarding Committee (both lines: 17024 and 17021-1)
• Conflict of interest declaration before every audit
• Functional separation between commercial activity, technical work and the decision
• Protection for appellants and complainants
• Independent review of decisions
• Human validation of AI-assisted decisions

• Institutional website (public information)
• Onboarding of new personnel
• Contracts with external auditors and suppliers