Each Customer is allowed to submit appeal against the decision taken by IMQ on the result of the conformity assessment of their interest, within thirty (30) days from receipt of the related communication.
The appeal may concern any decision taken by IMQ (for example, the non-granting of the certification / extension / maintenance / renewal, including the adoption of sanctions), both for procedural and technical reasons.The submission of an appeal does not stop the execution of the measures taken by IMQ, until a possible different pronouncement by the Appeals Committee in charge.
The appeal has to be addressed to IMQ by PEC (Certified Electronic Mail), registered mail with return receipt or other valid ways of legal effect, signed by the legal representative of the Organization submitting the appeal and must contain a specific indication of the provision to which the revision is called; reasons for disagreement shall be exposed and motivated; all the necessary documentation deemed useful to support the request shall be attached.
All appeals received by IMQ are managed according to a documented internal procedure, uniquely codified and recorded. Following the receipt of an appeal, IMQ gives answer to the Customer to confirm the taking in charge of the appeal, or to report that the appeal does not refer to activities for which IMQ may be considered responsible (activity outside IMQ responsibilities).
If the appeal is related to activities under the responsibility of IMQ, the matter of the appeal is analyzed to collect and verify all the information needed to understand the reasons and, if necessary, to request additional elements and / or information in addition to what is exposed, in order to be able to accept or reject the appeal received.
All information regarding the decision subject to appeal and regarding the appeal itself are transmitted to the Appeal Committee in charge; the members of this Committee are not involved in the activities of conformity assessment subject to appeal, to safeguard the independence of judgment, and operates according to a documented procedure.The Committee may request IMQ to acquire further elements from the Customer, in order to make its own decision.
The decision is formally taken by the Committee, duly recorded by IMQ and transmitted to the IMQ competent Area for the definition of the necessary consequential actions to solve the appeal.
IMQ competent Area informs the Customer of the decision about the appeal by PEC (Certified Electronic Mail), registered mail with return receipt, or other valid way of legal effect; such information - with a content complying to the decision of the Committee - is given within four (4) months from the date of receipt of the appeal. If the management of a specific appeal requires a longer time, IMQ provides the Customer with information about the progress of the decision, communicating the time-schedule for the resolution.