19
SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2026
 ASSOCIATION NEWS 
the translation into three languages (French, 
German and Spanish) with the support of 
accredited laboratories has also facilitated access 
to information for non-English users.
• The revised ISTA Accreditation Standard 
brings new aspects to be considered by the ISTA 
auditors and the audited laboratories, such 
as machines replacing human analysts, risk 
assessment aspects and staff monitoring.
One of my tasks is still to perform audits 
as a system and technical auditor. In 2025 
we celebrated 150 ISTA audits having been 
undertaken.
Some of the key projects and contributions to 
ISTA’s development from the Accreditation 
and Technical Department also need to be 
mentioned:
• The eCertificate system is one of the most 
important achievements. The Accreditation 
and Technical Department is still involved in 
giving support to accredited laboratories that are 
willing to use eCertificates; at the same time, the 
administration of eCertificate orders is done by 
our department, together with our accounting 
colleagues.
• I contributed as one of the authors for the FAO/
ISTA Handbook: Guidelines for the establishment 
and management of seed testing laboratories.
• The communication with and advice received 
over the years from the ISTA Technical 
Committees (e.g. collaboration with Bulking 
and Sampling Committee (BSC) for Chapter 10 
of the Sampling Handbook on quality assurance 
aspects; contribution to the first version of 
the guideline on ‘Advanced Technology – 
Computer Vision’ with the Purity and Advanced 
Technologies Committees).
• The communication with and support of the 
Proficiency Test Committee in providing the 
necessary tools to monitor the competence of 
accredited laboratories and of the candidates for 
accreditation.
Looking ahead, the main objectives for 
strengthening ISTA’s accreditation system are:
• Continuous work to improve uniformity 
in performing ISTA audits. A guideline for 
equipment calibration requirements will soon be 
ready, thanks to excellent support from the ISTA 
auditors.
• Accreditation of ISTA laboratories for seed 
health (SH) tests, a new approach ‘From validated 
methods to more method-based accreditation’. 
This will be presented for study and approval 
to the full ECOM, with the support of the Seed 
Health Committee, the ECOM–SHWG and the 
ECOM–AWG. 
• Initiation of a project related to the storage of 
submitted samples after testing, together with 
the Seed Storage and Bulking and Sampling 
Committees; other ISTA Technical Committees 
will support the project, and the conclusion will 
improve requirement 2.5.4.7 of the International 
Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules).
My thanks go to the ISTA members, the ECOM–
AWG and the ECOM members, to the ISTA 
Secretary General, the Technical Committee 
members, my colleagues from the ISTA 
Secretariat and of course, to my fellow auditors 
and audit administrators.
I would like to mention here Max Soepboer, 
former trainer in quality assurance aspects, and 
three ISTA Honorary Life Members: Ronald Don, 
Joël Léchappé and Rita Zecchinelli, who have all 
provided support in building my competence.
A celebration of 150 audits at the laboratory TR03 in 2025
The ISTA Accreditation and Technical 
Department team, 2025

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