EU|BIC Quality Mark Committee (BQMC)

Role, Composition and Regulations

Contents
1. Role of the BQMC ............................................................................................ 3

2. Role of EBN regarding the BQMC ................................................................... 3

3. Composition of the BQMC ............................................................................... 4

3.1 Appointment of BQMC members ................................................................ 4

3.2 Members with voting rights ........................................................................ 4

3.3 Members without voting rights .................................................................... 4

3.4 Authorised guests (without voting rights) .................................................... 4

4 BQMC regulations .......................................................................................... 5

4.1 Granting of the EU|BIC licence to new candidate organisations ................ 5

4.2 Renewal or withdrawal of existing EU|BICs licences ................................ 5

4.3 On site visits (=audits) ................................................................................. 5

4.4 Continuous improvements to the EU|BIC Quality System .......................... 5

4.5 BQMC Internal regulations .......................................................................... 6

2
1. Role of the BQMC
The committee shall be responsible for 5 tasks
1) Granting the EU|BICs licence to new candidate organisations
2) Renewal or withdrawal of existing licences
3) Selection of the EU|BICs to be audited
4) Suggesting any changes in the EU|BICs Certification and Quality System
5) Changing and adopting its internal regulations

2. Role of EBN regarding the BQMC

The Quality Manager is the internal member of staff responsible for the quality initiative; he/she
reports to the EBN Managing Director. EBN is responsible for:

- Suggesting members for the BQMC

- Issuing a self-evaluation questionnaire for annual submission by the EU|BIC licensees

- Providing any data or documents required by the BQMC

- Designing appropriate report templates and providing completed reports

- Planning the agenda and taking the minutes for each session

- Identifying the main decisions to be debated and made by the BQMC

- Implementing the BQMC recommendations and decisions

- Proposing the internal regulations

- Ensuring a consensus is reached whenever required and adequate

- Ensuring that any matter raised by licensees is treated fairly

- Proposing which representatives from the EU|BIC managers should be replaced on the BQMC
when required

- Ensuring all agenda items have been debated

- Ensuring the rules of the EU|BICs Certification and Quality System are followed

- Verifying that the internal regulations of the BQMC are respected.

3
3. Composition of the BQMC
3.1 Appointment of BQMC members
Three external experts and one European Commission representative are to be selected for a period
of eighteen months, with tacit renewal by both EBN and the European Commission. EBN may notify
the need to change the external experts before the end of their mission; good reasons must be
presented and EBN must make the appropriate decision.
Three EU|BIC managers are to be chosen for a period of twelve months, with tacit renewal. EBN must
review the composition of EU|BIC managers on an annual basis.
Additional members without voting rights can be appointed by both EBN.

3.2 Members with voting rights

The BQMC is composed of seven members with voting rights:
- Three external experts (Two substitutes)
- Three EU|BIC managers (Two substitutes)
- One European Commission representative
The three EU|BIC Managers and their substitutes, preferably members of the EBN Board, are to be
appointed by the EBN Board of Directors.
One person is to be appointed by the European Commission. (DG Enterprise, relevant directorate)
NB: Substitutes may attend any meeting. However, if not acting as a replacement for an absent full
member, he/she will have no voting rights.

3.3 Members without voting rights

The EBN Quality & Technical Assistance Manager shall be present at the BQMC meetings but holds no
voting rights.

3.4 Authorised guests (without voting rights)

In some situations, EBN upon the request of the BQMC members might approve the presence of
additional persons. These guests have no voting rights but may express their views. Such guests might
include:
- The expert who has evaluated a EU|BIC on site and whose report appears on the agenda
- Any representative of the EU|BIC Network's National Committees
- EBN staff members

4
4 BQMC regulations
4.1 Granting of the EU|BIC licence to new candidate organisations
- A mission on site must have been undertaken
- The standard evaluation report, and any other relevant documentation must be available to
BQMC members at least five full working days before the meeting at which it is to be discussed
The BQMC must make one of the following decisions:
a) No licence to be granted (a list of reasons must be given to the organisation)
b) Conditional one year licence to be granted. A list of conditions must be provided along
with the timescale for compliance with these.
c) Three year licence to be granted (any recommendations must be clearly stated in the
relevant section of the report)
d) Postponement of a decision to the next or a subsequent BQMC meeting (reasons
should be presented)

4.2 Renewal or withdrawal of existing EU|BICs licences

Two points must be taken into consideration:
- The self-evaluation questionnaire must be satisfactorily completed
- The EU|BIC Quality System must be followed
If not already undertaken, an on-site visit may be requested by the BQMC before making a decision.

4.3 On site visits (=audits)

- EBN is to propose both a methodology and annual targets
- The BQMC confirms or suggests alternative methodology/names
- Organisations are to be chosen on the basis of the self-evaluation questionnaire or randomly.
- At least 10 % of existing EU|BICs must be audited per year
- Auditors (experts) cannot be from the same country as the EU|BIC to be audited unless
particular administrative boundaries apply
- The relevant EU|BIC National Committee may appoint a national “companion” to accompany
the auditor (expert)
- EBN Board Members acting as members of the BQMC cannot act as auditors (experts).

4.4 Continuous improvements to the EU|BIC Quality System

Any member of the EBN association may ask for a relevant item to be added to the agenda of a
meeting. The BQMC must consider the matter if it is relevant to the EU|BIC Quality System. With
regard to changes in the Quality System, these must be approved by the EBN Board.

5
Among the problems and/or other specific issues, which may be discussed, these might include:
- EU|BICs that did not complete the latest questionnaire or that only partially completed it
- Delays regarding the payment of EBN membership fees
- Non-observation/non-compliance of any aspect of the EU|BIC Quality System
- Improper use of the EU|BIC Quality Mark

4.5 BQMC Internal regulations

The following regulations were discussed and approved by EBN in 2014:
1) Decisions take effect if supported by at least 51% of the members with voting rights.
2) No representation by an unofficial substitute is permitted.
3) E-votes are allowed provided that both the BQMC member gives a rationale to his vote by
email.
4) At least three members with voting rights must be present (physically or virtually) for
decisions to apply. These must include one member from each group (see 3.2 above).
5) Members who miss two consecutive meetings without first giving their apologies in either
case will be asked to leave the committee
6) Excessive/repeated absence from meetings by members (even after first giving their
apologies) may result in the termination of their membership by the Committee. This will
be done following the request of any voting member of the BQMC, with the agreement of
the other members. The quorum and majority rule will apply for any such decisions.
7) If members cannot attend a meeting, apologies must be given as soon as possible in advance
of the meeting.
8) Draft minutes of each session must be circulated within 5 working days of the meeting and
approved by each BQMC member with voting rights that was present at the relevant
meeting. Approval must be given by email, by the deadline set by EBN before decisions can
be considered as official and before they can be divulged. A lack of response by the deadline
will be taken as approval.
9) Meetings will be held according to agenda set by EBN.
10) BQMC members with voting rights cannot carry out audits. Substitute members may carry
out audits on condition that they do not act as a full member of the committee at the
meeting for which the audit in question is an agenda item.