What does EN 319 401 say about conformity assessment bodies?
EN 319 401 V3.2.1 sets service-independent policy requirements for TSP operation and management. Its scope expressly excludes the independent assessment method, information that must be made available to assessors, and requirements imposed on those assessors.
A TSP therefore cannot use EN 319 401 alone to prove that a CAB is accredited, competent for the service, or following the required scheme. For EU qualified services, check the CAB's accreditation and scope, the scheme used, the services and locations covered by the report, and the supervisory body's qualified-status decision.
- Use EN 319 401 to define the TSP policy, practice, security, recordkeeping, continuity, compliance, and supplier evidence that may be reviewed.
- Do not treat EN 319 401 as the source for CAB accreditation, independence, sampling, audit-method, or assessor-competence rules.
- When a customer asks for CAB status, separate the TSP's conformance evidence from the assessor's own authority, scope, and conformity assessment scheme.
Clause 1 excludes independent assessment methods, assessor evidence requirements, and assessor requirements from EN 319 401 and points to EN 319 403-1.
Article 3(18) defines a CAB for qualified trust services by accreditation and competence; Articles 20 and 21 distinguish the CAB report from supervision and the grant of qualified status.