ARMNAB to join EA MLA: Armenian laboratory and certification results to be recognised in Europe

The European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) has approved the accession of the National Accreditation Body (ARMNAB), a state non-commercial organisation of Armenia’s Ministry of Economy, to the EA Multilateral Agreement (EA MLA). According to the Ministry of Economy of Armenia, the decision was taken at the 55th meeting of the EA Multilateral Agreement Council (MAC) in Roissy-en-France, France.

The meeting reviewed the results of ARMNAB’s peer evaluation. The Council approved ARMNAB becoming a signatory to the EA MLA in the following key areas:

• Testing laboratories (EN ISO/IEC 17025)
• Calibration laboratories (EN ISO/IEC 17025)
• Management system certification (EN ISO/IEC 17021-1)

The official signing ceremony of the mutual recognition agreement will take place at the end of November during the EA summit.

Signing the agreements will reduce costs for both manufacturers and importers, as the need to re-assess products (services) in another country will be reduced or eliminated, ensuring the free movement of goods.

Background

Armenia’s Ministry of Economy has drafted a programme to partially reimburse testing laboratories for the cost of international accreditation. Laboratories accredited by ARMNAB that obtain accreditation from an ILAC MRA signatory body will be able to recover up to 70% of their costs, capped at AMD 5 million (about $13,800), or AMD 2 million for extending the scope of accreditation. According to the draft’s justification, AMD 6 million is planned for 2026 and AMD 16 million a year from 2027, and the programme will run until November 10, 2030.

Since June 2026, Russia has restricted imports of Armenian plant and animal products. The Central Bank of Armenia estimates that the restrictions cover products whose exports amounted to about 1.2% of GDP in 2025. Most of Armenia’s output of flowers, fish products and stone fruit goes to Russia, and the scope to redirect it to other markets in the short term is limited.

On September 24, the Council of the European Union formally adopted temporary trade-liberalisation measures for Armenian products. They cover around 80% of Armenian exports to the EU and will apply for two years. According to the Council, the measures are intended to support Armenia’s economy following the restrictions imposed by Russia.