Reading a transition requirements document

When a management system standard gets a new edition, the dates that matter for certificates are not in the standard itself. They are in the transition requirements issued for it within the international accreditation framework, now by Global ACI. This is how to read one.

The header

The document names the new edition, the edition it replaces, the publication status and the transition period. For ISO 14001:2026 it reads: replacing ISO 14001:2015 including Amendment 1:2024, published in April 2026, a transition period of three years ending 30 April 2029.

The key timescale

A table of due dates, each counted from the last day of the publication month. It covers when accreditation bodies must be ready, when certification bodies declare readiness, when accreditation decisions are complete, the date after which new certifications are only to the new edition, and the date the transition ends.

Two sets of actions

One table lists what accreditation bodies must do, the other what accredited certification bodies must do: a transition plan, communication with certified clients, trained and competent personnel, a transition audit, and a decision on whether extra audit time is needed.

A certificate to the previous edition stays valid until the transition end date, and not beyond it. If an organization chooses not to transition, its certificate expires at the end of the transition period, even if the printed expiry date is later.

The two questions to ask a certification body

"When will your accreditation be transitioned to the new edition?" The answer depends on the accreditation body's transition decision, which the document requires by a fixed date.

"When will my transition audit be?" The answer should name a scheduled audit or a special audit before the end date.

CAS's answer for ISO 14001:2026: accredited certificates to the new edition follow EGAC's transition of our accreditation, and we will plan each client's transition audit with them.

CAS — An EGAC accredited MS certification body No. 012418. Accredited scope: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO 50001 and ISO 22301. Certificates accredited for ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 22000 and 50001 fall within EGAC's IAF MLA scope; ISO 22301 is accredited by EGAC and sits outside that scope.