APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

ECOGRANT MB

  1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

2. APPEALS

  1. LODGING APPEALS

An appeal can be lodged by an applicant (a legal entity that has applied to participate in the certification process), a candidate (an applicant that fulfils certain prerequisites and has been allowed to participate in the certification process) or a certified legal entity that disagrees with the certification body’s decisions. 

The appeal must be submitted in writing by completing the “Request for Appeal/Complaint Review” (F-02-02). The appeal may also be submitted as a free-form document. The appeal must state – the name of the person lodging the appeal, the name of the legal entity, the company number and contact details. The appeal must set out the substance of the appeal in a full and reasoned manner. The appeal must be signed and dated. The person may deliver the appeal to the certification body in person or by courier, by registered post or by e-mail, or by fax. The requirement to include the above information in the appeal shall remain regardless of the method of appeal.

2. RECEIVING AND REGISTERING APPLEALS

The Head of the Certification Body shall, upon receipt of the appeal, register it in the “Register of Appeals and Complaints” (F-02-01) and take note of its content. The Head of the Certification Body shall write ‘RECEIVED’ on the appeal received, indicate the date and number of receipt of the appeal, state his/her name and sign it. If the appeal is received by e-mail, it shall be printed and identified as described above. All identified appeals shall be kept by the head of the certification body in the ‘Appeals and Complaints’ file. All appeals received, irrespective of their content, shall be recorded, stored and processed.

Any employee or person acting on behalf of the certification body who receives an appeal from an applicant, candidate or certified legal entity shall forward it to the Head of the certification body.

3. RECEIVING AND REGISTERING APPLEALS

In order to clarify the actions referred to in the appeal and to decide on further action, the Head of the certification body shall, by order, set up a working group and appoint the head of the working group. The appeal working group shall be composed of competent persons who were not involved in the decision against which the appeal was received.

The decision taken by the Workin g Party after the appeal has been examined shall be documented in the document “Conclusions of the appeal/complaint examination” (F-02-03). The document must include – name of the appellant, name of the legal entity, company code, contact details, date, registration number of the appeal, the decision of the working group that examined the appeal and the further steps to be taken to implement the corrective action (in cases where the decision is that the appeal is justified).

The decision of the Appeal Working Group, documented in the document “Conclusions of the Appeal/Complaint Review” (F-02-03), shall be submitted by the Head of the Working Group to the Head of the Certification Body. The Head of the Certification Body shall take note of the decision of the working group, assess the corrective actions proposed (if any), register the document and make any other necessary entries in the ‘Appeals and Complaints Logbook’. The Head of the Certification Body shall sign the document and send it to the person who lodged the appeal.

3. COMPLAINTS

  1. SUBMITTING, REGISTERING AND HANDLING COMPLAINTS

Individuals or organisations can lodge a complaint against the activities of a certification body. 

Complaints can be made in writing (by post, email) or orally. A record form “Request for Appeal/Complaint” (F-02-02) has been prepared to document the content of the complaint, but the complaint may also be submitted in free form.

Any employee of the certification body or person acting on behalf of the certification body shall inform the Head of the certification body of the complaint received.

All complaints received shall be recorded by the Head of the Certification Body in the ‘Appeals and Complaints Logbook’ (F-02-01). Complaints received anonymously shall not be registered or investigated.

The Head of the Certification Body shall make an informed judgement as to whether the complaint relates to the certification activities for which the Certification Body is responsible. If it is determined that the complaint is not related to the activities of the certification body, the complaint shall not be further investigated and the complainant shall be informed of the decision taken.

If the Head of the Certification Body decides that the complaint relates to the activities of the Certification Body, the procedure for dealing with the complaint and for informing the complainant of the outcome of the complaint shall be the same as for appeals.

2. CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLAINTS HANDLING

The data of the complainant or appellant shall be treated asconfidential and may be disclosed to persons involved in the content ofthe complaint or appeal only with the written consent of the natural orlegal person who has lodged the complaint or appeal for the disclosure ofhis/her personal data to the person complained against, if this is necessaryfor the purpose of clarifying the validity of the complaint or the appeal andfor the purpose of taking a decision on the further action.

4. MANAGEMENT OF CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

In cases where the members of the appeal/complaint working group accept the appeal/complaint as valid and instruct corrective action, the corrective action shall be documented and further managed in procedure PRO 07 “Nonconformity Management. Corrective and Preventive Actions”.

5. DOCUMENTATION OF APPEAL AND COMPLAINT HANDLING ACTIONS

In order to ensure traceability of information and actions taken in the handling of appeals and complaints, the Head of the Certification Body shall document all actions taken in the “Appeals and Complaints Logbook” (F-02-01). The log shall be kept in an electronic version. A hard copy of the log may be made available to interested parties upon request.