Appeals and complaints

1. Appeal against the certification decision

Appeals against decisions of COP RT are submitted to the head of COP RT, who is also responsible for handling them.

Appeal procedure:

  1. A person appealing a decision of the certification body regarding their requested certification status submits a written appeal to the address of COP RT.
  2. The head of COP RT receives and records the appeal in the Book of Appeals and Complaints.
  3. The head of COP RT confirms receipt of the appeal in writing to the appellant within 3 working days.
  4. A written record must be made of every verbal meeting with the appellant, which is given to both parties. The record is kept by the head of COP RT in the “Book of Appeals and Complaints.”
  5. The deadline to submit an appeal is 15 days from the date the appellant was informed of the decision they wish to appeal.
  6. The deadline for COP RT to resolve the appeal is 30 working days from receipt of the appeal. Appeals are handled by the deputy head of COP RT, since they cannot decide on certification and thus are not directly involved in the decision against which the appeal was made.
  7. The head of COP RT verifies the existence of similar appeals and considers previous outcomes when resolving the appeal.
  8. The head of COP RT responds to the appellant/complainant within 7 days after resolving the appeal. The response includes the date the appeal/complaint was recorded, corrective actions taken, the deadline for completing corrections, or the rejection of the appeal/complaint if it was unfounded.
  9. If the appellant/complainant is dissatisfied with the resolution of their appeal, they have the right to submit an appeal to the Certification Scheme Committee at the address of COP RT.
  10. The Certification Scheme Committee decides on the composition of the appeal board.
  11. The head of COP RT sends the appellant the composition of the appeal board and the deadline by which the board will decide on the appeal.
  12. If no complaint about the composition of the appeal board is submitted within 14 days of sending this information, this is considered consent.

If a complaint about the composition of the board is submitted within 14 days, the complainant must state the reasons for the complaint. The Certification Scheme Committee assesses the reasons and decides whether to change the composition of the board.

After the appeal board meeting, the head of COP RT sends its opinion and decision on the appeal to the appellant.

2. Complaints

Complaints submitted by an individual or organization concerning the activities of COP RT are handled fairly and impartially with all parties involved. Complaints requiring corrective actions in the activities of COP RT are submitted to the head of COP RT, who is also responsible for their resolution.

Complaint handling process:

  1. The complainant shall submit a written complaint to the address of COP RT.
  2. The head of COP RT shall record the complaint in the Book of Appeals and Complaints.
  3. A written record must be made of every verbal meeting with the complainant, which is given to both parties. The record is kept by the head of COP RT in the “Book of Appeals and Complaints.”
  4. The head of COP RT shall confirm receipt of the complaint to the complainant within 3 working days.
  5. The time limit for resolving the complaint by COP RT is 30 working days from the date of receipt of the complaint.
  6. During the 30-day period allocated for resolving the complaint, the head of COP RT collects relevant information and verifies available data to ensure the complaint is resolved objectively and fairly.
  7. After the 30-day period from receipt of the complaint, the head of COP RT shall send the complainant a response or information about corrective action, if the complaint is found to be justified.
  8. If the complainant has objections to the resolution of their complaint, they may subsequently file a follow-up complaint.

If all of the above-mentioned means of resolving the complaint have been exhausted, both parties shall proceed by using the available legal remedies.

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