A Certification Body, having been duly accredited by an Accreditation Body and by way of signing a contract with Global Standard gGmbH has been permitted to implement the Global Organic Textile Standard over a designated geographical area and for specific scopes of the Standard.
")  Based on the discovery of serious lapses at Intertek Testing Services NA Inc. (Intertek), a GOTS-[approved Certification Body](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/approved-certification-body "An Approved Certification Body or Approved Certifier is a certification body that has been duly accredited by an Accreditation Body. By signing a con tract with Global Standard gGmbH, they are permitted to implement the Global Organic Textile Standard within a designated geographical area and for specific scopes of the Standard. An updated list of Approved Certifiers and their scopes is available on the GOTS Website.
") (CB), [Global Standard gGmbH](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/global-standard "The legal entity operating the Global Organic Textile Standard programme; it conducts all activities of the licensing system and is proprietor of the registered trademarks (GOTS Signs). Its founders are: International Association Natural Textile Industry, Japan Organic Cotton Association, Organic Trade Association, Soil Association.
") management has decided to partially suspend the work in specific areas of Intertek’s operations. Intertek was notified on 25 July 2024. The suspension prohibits the CB from issuing [Transaction Certificates](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/transaction-certificate "A document issued by a GOTS-approved Certification Body for GOTS-certified products, verifying their compliance with the Standard. It provides traceability by listing product details, shipment information and confirming integrity through volume reconciliation process.
") (TCs) for specific products, while other TCs are still permitted to be issued with strict risk assessment at their end. Intertek are also prohibited from acquiring any new clients, regardless of scope of operations. Renewal of [Scope Certificates](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/scope-certificate "A document issued to a Certified Entity by an Approved Certification Body which verifies the entity is in conformity with the requirements of the Standard and includes a summary of the processes and products that are permitted under the certification. It also lists the various facilities that are covered under this certification.
") (SCs) are permitted as long as the scope does not include ginning, spinning, sale or trade of lint cotton and grey yarn. No enhancement of SCs shall be permitted during the suspension. This suspension shall remain in force until Intertek demonstrates full compliance to their contractual and certification obligations. Intertek has been given 90 days to report to both Global [Standard](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/standard "standard glossary text
") and their [Accreditation Body](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/accreditation-body "An authoritative body or organisation which evaluates and confirms that a conformity assessment body, e.g., a Certification Body, is deemed capable of carrying out certain assessment tasks, e.g., certification, inspection, or testing, regarding a particular formally defined standard. This attestation relies primarily on a formal demonstration of its task-specific competence by the conformity assessment body, evaluated via professional and objective audits by the Accreditation Body, typically by way of ISO/IEC 17065 : 'Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services'.
") (AB) of their findings and actions. The suspension may potentially cause challenges within the value chain, especially to those who are certified by Intertek or for those who have value chain partners certified by Intertek. A suspension is not a withdrawal, but rather an opportunity for the CB to demonstrate positive intent to address any issues within their systems. The primary objective of suspending a CB is to retain the integrity of the [GOTS](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/gots "The worldwide leading voluntary sustainability standard for the post-harvest textile value chain for certified organic fibres, covering environmental criteria, human rights, social criteria and business conduct.
") system and the goods certified under it. This remains our primary aim so that all organisations that use and rely on GOTS can continue to do so. While we regret the inconvenience caused to the supply chain, it is crucial to ensure that confidence in the [Standard](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/standard "standard glossary text
") does not wane. **Key Points of Suspension:** - **Immediate Effectiveness**: Intertek is suspended from issuing TCs and SCs for entities involved in ginning, spinning, sale or trade of lint cotton and grey yarn. - **Limited Operations**: Intertek cannot take on new clients. - **Strict Monitoring**: Intertek may continue issuing TCs for existing clients, with strict risk assessment and responsibility, provided they do not engage in the restricted activities. - **Renewals Allowed**: Intertek can renew expiring SCs for existing clients but excluding those involved in restricted activities. Implications for Supply Chain Operators (SCOs):** - **Service Disruption**: SCOs who have value chain partners certified by Intertek may face disruptions in their certification and transaction certificate issuance processes, particularly for ginning, spinning and trading lint cotton and grey yarn. - **Need for New Certifier**: While understanding that the suspension is temporary and includes a deadline for the CB to rectify the situation, SCOs may decide on migrating to another GOTS-approved CB to ensure continuity in certification services based on their risk assessment. In these cases, Global Standard has a policy in place and may be downloaded here: [policy for change or migration of CB](https://gots.vorschau.website/images/news/archiv/resource-library/documents/certificate-policies-and-templates/Policy_for_Change_of_Certifiers_v_1.1_Nov-2020.pdf). - **Migration May Be Necessary**: It should also be understood that if the CB does not satisfy their AB’s and Global Standard’s requirements and if processes are not appropriately reset, their approval status shall be in jeopardy. In such cases, a migration shall be necessary. - **Increased Scrutiny**: SCOs should prepare for increased scrutiny and compliance checks during this period of suspension. This suspension underscores the importance of maintaining high standards and accurate implementation of certification requirements to uphold the integrity of the GOTS programme. Global Standard will continue to be available for any support that you may need. Should you need any clarifications, please contact Prachi Gupta, Responsible Quality Assurance, at [](mailto:prachi@global-standard.org)This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For additional information, please refer to the [Q&A section](https://gots.vorschau.website/q-and-a) on our website under [“Sanctions and Suspensions”](https://gots.vorschau.website/q-and-a#:~:text=Sanctions%20and%20Suspensions). [ Share this page ](#fs-toggle=share)