GOST is the official quality certification system in the Russian Federation, also known as GOST-R Certification. It holds significant importance for Russian companies and foreign exporters to Russia, similar to the ISO 9000 series certificates for Western businesses. GOST-TR represents the recognized quality standard in Russia.
The GOST-TR certification not only focuses on the company's quality management system but also evaluates its products. In other words, obtaining this certification requires testing product samples in accredited laboratories overseen by GOSSTANDART (the Russian Government Standards Organization). Based on these tests, companies are granted the certification.
Who is authorized to issue these certificates?
The authority to grant GOST-TR certification lies with GOSSTANDART, along with other accredited certification bodies and test laboratories. To obtain the certification, a company's production system and products are thoroughly inspected for compliance with Russian standards by certified auditors. Companies must provide official documents proving product quality and submit samples for testing in accordance with Russian Federation quality standards. The certification bodies, primarily located in Moscow, operate under the strict supervision of GOSSTANDART, ensuring that all products and documents are carefully examined.
Certification bodies can only issue certificates for products within their specific accredited areas. For instance, a food certification body cannot certify textile products. To obtain certification for textile goods, the application must be submitted to an organization that specializes in textile certification, equipped with inspectors and test laboratories specific to that product type.