Method Validation Working Group

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Last Updated: Tuesday, 25 February 2025 17:55

The Eurachem Method Validation Working Group (MVWG) aims to function as a centre of expertise in the field by assembling and promoting best practice in Method Validation.

Terms of Reference

The Eurachem Method Validation Working Group has been established and will operate in accordance with the Constitution agreed in the Eurachem Memorandum of Understanding. It will function as a centre of expertise by identifying and developing best practices on how to ensure that analytical methods are fit for purpose. The MVWG is working:

1. To provide guidance on method validation. This guidance will be applicable to all analytical laboratories and meet the requirements for accreditation;
2. To organize - and contribute to - international seminars and workshops on issues related to method validation within analytical measurement;
3. To collaborate and provide input on method validation into other Eurachem working groups, joint task groups and other professional liaison organisations;
4. To follow and discuss new developments within analytical measurement, which may require new approaches regarding method validation;
5. To contribute to the "Reading List" with relevant references on method validation in analytical measurement.

Activities

 Past

• Contributed to the scientific programme of the Eurachem workshop Quality Assurance in Chemical, Medical and Microbiological Laboratories in Vilnius, Lithuania, May 2024.

• Presented on method validation of non-targeted methods at the Eurachem Cyprus event Recent developments in Quality Assurance, Nicosia, Cyprus, March 2024.

• Contributed to the Eurolab webinar Method and procedure validation across laboratories: navigating precision in lab practices, February 2024.

• Arranged a series of webinars, in conjunction with AOAC-E, entitled Trends & challenges for Non-Targeted Methods, November 2022 & June 2023.

• Published the information leaflet The importance of method validation, 2021.

• Published two supplementary guidance documents Blanks in method validation and Planning and reporting method validation studies, 2019.

• Contributed to the NMKL-NordVal International symposium Speeding towards omics, Oslo, Norway, June 2019.

• Contributed to the scientific program of the Eurachem Workshop Validation of targeted and non-targeted methods of analysis, Tartu, Estonia, May 2019.

• Led a workshop Are MS-based methods fit for purpose? at the XXII International Mass Spectrometry Conference, Florence, Italy, August 2018.

Current

• The MVWG normally meets twice a year. One of these meetings takes place online while the second is in person. In addition, task groups may have occassional online chats on specific topics.
  

Members of the MVWG at one of our in-person meetings
(Athens, October 2024)

• The MVWG is currently working on supplementary guidance on individual aspects of method validation, which are intended to be used in conjunction with the main guide.
  So far the following supplements have been issued:
  "Planning and reporting method validation studies"
  "Blanks in Method Validation"
  ...and more are in the pipeline
• The MVWG has completed work on a revision of the Fitness for Purpose guide (3rd edition, published in early 2025). 
• The MVWG is working on preparing a supplement which contains examples which apply the principles recommended in the "Fitness for Purpose" guide.
• A Task Group on Validation of Non-Targeted Methods has been established. A series of ½-day webinars on the subject, in cooperation with AOAC-E, have been arranged.
• A Joint Task Group (JTG) has been set up in cooperation with the Sampling Uncertainty WG and with inputs from Eurolab and NMKL. This JTG has published a guidance document on the Validation of Measurement Procedures that Include Sampling. 

Contact the Working Group

The working group may be contacted via the working group Secretary using the Website contact form.
If interested in membership of the working group, the document "Method Validation Working Group – Roles & Responsibilities" should be requested from the secretary. 

Members

• Isabelle Vercruysse (Belgium)
• Lorens Sibbesen (Denmark)
• Piotr Robouch (JRC/EU) (C)
• Pieter Dehouck (JRC/EU; Vice-Chair/Secretary)
• Abdelkader Boubetra (France)
• Nathalie Guigues (France)
• Barbara Pohl (Germany) 
• Stephan Walch (Germany)
• Helen Gika (Greece)
• Marios Kostakis (Greece)
• Helen Cantwell (Ireland; Chair)
• John Clancy (Ireland)
• Karen Moore (Ireland)
• Emanuela Gregori (Italy)
• Marina Patriarca (Italy)
• Ewa Bulska (Poland) (C)
• Pedro Pablo Morillas Bravo (Spain)
• Francisco Raposo (Spain)
• Elvar Theodorsson (Sweden) (C)
• Ernst Halder (Switserland)
• Fatma Akcadag (Türkiye)
• Burcu Binici (Türkiye)
• Perihan Yolci Ömeroglu (Türkiye)
• Vicki Barwick (UK)
• Steve Ellison (UK) (C)

  (C): Corresponding member

Measurement Uncertainty and Traceability Working Group

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Last Updated: Friday, 23 January 2026 19:00

This is a joint WG with CITAC.

Terms of Reference

1. The EURACHEM/CITAC Measurement Uncertainty and Traceability Working Group has been established and will operate in accordance with the Constitution agreed in the EURACHEM Memorandum of Understanding.
2. The EURACHEM/CITAC Measurement Uncertainty and Traceability Working Group will prepare guidance for the evaluation of uncertainties and establishment of traceability in chemical analysis. This guidance will be applicable to all chemical analytical laboratories and will provide guidance on the assessment of uncertainties and establishment of traceability required for accreditation.
3. These guides will be developed in collaboration with EA and will be updated as experience is gained in their use.

Work Programme

Guides

• The Working Group produced the Eurachem Guide Quantifying Uncertainty in Analytical Measurement, first published in 1995 and now in its third edition, which was published in 2012. Several translations are available.
• The Eurachem guide Use of uncertainty information in compliance assessment, first published in 2007 and now it its second edition published 2021, provides guidance on how uncertainty may be taken into account in deciding compliance with a limit.
• The Eurachem guide Setting and Using Target Uncertainty in Chemical Measurement, published in 2015, gives guidance on the important task of deciding target uncertainty; this helps to make sure that a procedure is fit for its intended purpose.
• In 2003 the Working Group published the first Eurachem guide on Traceability in Chemical Measurement, which was updated in 2019. This Guide gives principles and guidance for the establishment of measurement traceability in quantitative chemical analysis.

Information leaflets

The working group has so far published six information leaflets:

• Traceability of analytical results summarise the principles of metrological traceability in routine testing.
• Use of uncertainty information in compliance assessment summarises the principles of interpreting results against regulatory or other specification limits.
• Using repeated measurements to improve the standard uncertainty addresses a common problem: when it is appropriate to divide a standard deviation by the square root of the number of observations when evaluating uncertainty for random variation.
• Treatmen of an observed bias discusses whether or not an observed significant bias should be corrected and the impact this may have on the measurement uncertainty (MU).
• The leaflet Setting Target Measurement Uncertainty gives a brief introduction to the Guide on the topic.
• What is the uncertainty factor  introduces the use of a factor when reporting high measurement uncertainty.

In addition, the WG maintains the leaflet Measurement Uncertainty for Laboratory Customers, originally published by SP (now RISE) and elaborated with Eurolab and others to help customers understand why laboratories report measurement uncertainty.

Workshops

The Measurement Uncertainty and Traceability working group has coordinated several International workshops on measurement uncertainty, including

• Measurement uncertainty evaluation based on in-house validation data
  (Online, 2022)
• Eurachem workshop on Uncertainty from sampling and analysis for accredited laboratories (Berlin, 2019)-
• Eurachem Workshop: Quality in Analytical Measurements (Lisbon, 2014)
• Evaluation of measurement uncertainty (Graz, 1994; Berlin, 1997, Lisbon, 2011)
• Measurement Uncertainty in Sampling and Compliance (Berlin, 2008)

Members*

*Last updated 2024-04-23

Contact

The working group may be contacted via the working group Secretary using the Website contact form.

Education and Training Working Group

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Last Updated: Friday, 30 January 2026 14:20

Terms of Reference

1. The Eurachem Education and Training Working Group (ETWG) has been established and will operate in accordance with the Constitution agreed in the Eurachem Memorandum of Understanding.
2. The ETWG will attempt to have representatives from each of the Eurachem member countries either as Full Members or as Corresponding Members*.
3. The ETWG, in accordance with Eurachem policy on Establishment and Operation of Eurachem Working Groups, will appoint a Chair who will serve for a period of 3 years. A Vice-Chair/Secretary will also be appointed by the Working Group to serve for a period of 3 years. Both the Chair and Vice-Chair can be reappointed on completion of their term.
4. The ETWG will promote the concepts and importance of quality in analytical measurement with a particular focus on the development of guidance on quality management which emphasises metrology.
5. The ETWG will organise workshops and training events on metrology in chemistry and related quality assurance issues. Members will report on these activities at least annually.
6. In collaboration with the other Working Groups, the ETWG will regularly review and publish on the Eurachem website a Reading List of references relating to quality assurance for analytical science.
7. The ETWG will collaborate with other organisations having similar or complementary aims.
8. The ETWG will meet at least annually, usually at the General Assembly and review progress of projects against the work programme.

* Full members agree to attend meetings and carry out tasks agreed at the annual Working Group meeting

Corresponding members agree to comment on draft papers sent out to the Working Group

Members

*Corresponding member

Activities

Current

1. Collate and evaluate information on the state of education and training in analytical science in different member countries, with a particular focus on the development of teaching and training materials on quality management which emphasise metrology.

2. Engage with working analytical scientists, experts and other international organisations to contribute to the development of internationally harmonised terminology for analytical chemistry.

3. Contribute to the development and delivery of education and training in chemical metrology and quality assurance for both analytical scientists and the broader community by producing freely available materials. Current activities are:

• Development and maintenance of a reading list to support teaching and training of metrology in chemistry and quality assurance. Click here to access the reading list.
• Revision of the Eurachem/CITAC 'Guide to Quality in Analytical Chemistry: An aid to accreditation'

3. In collaboration with other WGs, prepare short videos for the Eurachem YouTube channel to address and explain challenging topics in the field of metrology in chemistry.

4. Organise workshops in metrology in chemistry which bring together academic staff, industrial scientists, instrument manufacturers and students.

• ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189 – Experiences and challenges of implementing the revised accreditation standards (Nicosia, March 2025)
• Complex matrices: Applications, laboratory standards, and accreditation (Bucharest, May 2025)

Specific projects in each area will be agreed at the Working Group meetings. Each work package will have a group of members identified in the Minutes to carry the project forward.

Past

• Publication of a video on the importance of a common language in analytical measurement
• Training event on Recent developments in Quality Assurance (Nicosia, March 2024)
• Publication of an information leaflet on the revision of ISO 15189
• Publication of the 2nd edition of the Guide: Terminology in Analytical Measurement: Introduction to VIM 3
• Publication of an information leaflet on terminology
• Publication of an information leaflet on the revision of ISO/IEC 17025
• Training event on ISO 15189:2022 – The New Standard for the Competence of Medical Laboratories (Nicosia, March 2023)
• Training event on Accreditation of Analytical, Microbiological and Medical laboratories – ISO/IEC 17025:2017 & ISO 15189:2012 (Nicosia, February 2020)
• Workshop on Data – Quality, Analysis and Integrity (Dublin, May 2018) 
• Training course and workshop on Key Challenges in Internal Quality Control (Berlin, October 2012)
• Workshop on Key Quality Assurance Challenges for Analytical Measurements (Moscow, May 2011)
• Development of a questionnaire to seek information about activities in teaching and training in metrology in chemistry

Eurachem Proficiency Testing Working Group

Details

Last Updated: Wednesday, 28 January 2026 09:44

The Eurachem Proficiency Testing Working Group (PTWG) provides a forum within the European chemical community for pursuing excellence in the development and implementation of proficiency testing

Terms of Reference

1. The PTWG has been established and will operate in accordance with the Constitution agreed in the Eurachem Memorandum of Understanding.
2. Enhance PT organisation in Europe and beyond.
3. Promote best practice in PT via publications, workshops, or other mechanisms.
4. Facilitate discussions on PT.
5. Host international workshops on PT in analytical chemistry, microbiology and laboratory medicine.
6. Liaise with EA/Eurolab/Eurachem on PT in accreditation.
7. Collaborate with other Eurachem working groups and engage in international PT activities.

Membership

*Corresponding Member

 Current Activities

• Organisation of the 11th International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine.
• Preparation and translation of a series of information leaflets regarding topics of interest to proficiency testing, to encourage good practice across Europe.
• Development of guidance on the performance evaluation of qualitative and interpretative results in PT schemes.

A key role of the PTWG is to discuss both input and outcomes of issues addressed at the EA/Eurolab/Eurachem Working Group on Proficiency Testing in Accreditation (EEE-PT WG). The EEE-PT WG discusses issues that go much wider than analytical chemistry, and it is the responsibility of the Eurachem representatives to ensure that any decisions and outputs of the WG take into account the needs of analytical chemistry. Current representatives of the PTWG who represent Eurachem on the EEE-PT WG are Brian Brookman, Caroline Laurent, Raquel Murtula and Piotr Robouch. In addition Frank Baumeister  (Germany) is also a Eurachem representative.

Previous Outputs

• 3rd International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Borås, Sweden, September 2020.
• Guide to the 'Selection, use and interpretation of proficiency testing (PT) schemes by laboratories', 2000.
• Input into the EEE-PT WG paper 'Use of Proficiency Testing as a Tool for Accreditation Bodies', 2000.
• 4th International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Bracknell, UK, February 2003.
• Input into various EEE-PT WG discussion documents.
• Development and translation of a leaflet on an introduction to 'Proficiency testing schemes and other interlaboratory comparisons' aimed at PT participants and their customers.
• 5th  International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Portoroz, Slovenia, September 2005 [Presentations available on the workshop information page].
• Survey on the accreditation of EQA scheme organisers in laboratory medicine (in collaboration with EQALM) [Report available here].
• Production of a discussion paper on fundamental terms relating yo PT [Discussion paper available here].
• Contribution to the revision of ILAC G!3.
• 6th International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Rome, Italy, October 2008 [Presentations and working group summaries available on the workshop information page].
• Contribution to the development of ISO/IEC 17043.
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'pre- and post-analytical proficiency testing'.
• 7th  International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Istanbul, Turkey, October 2011 [Presentations and working group summaries available on the workshop information page].
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'How can proficiency testing help my laboratory'.
• 8th International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Berlin, Germany, October 2014 [Presentations available on the workshop information page].
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'Selecting the right proficiency testing scheme for my laboratory'.
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'Proficiency testing - How much and how often'.
• 9th International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Portoroz, Slovenia, October 2017 [Presentations available on the workshop information page].
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'Use of surplus proficiency test items'.
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'How to investigate poor performance in proficiency testing'.
• Translation of a leaflet on 'Proficiency testing schemes for sampling'
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'Let's call a PT scheme a PT scheme'
• Publication of paper "Is harmonisation of performance assessment in non-quantitative proficiency testing possible/necessary?" U. Tiikkainen, L. Ciaralli, C. Laurent, M. Obkircher, M. Patriarca, P. Robouch, E. Sarkany, Accredit Qual Assur, 27, 1-8 (2022)
• 10th International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine - Windsor, UK, September 2023 [Presentations available on the workshop information page].
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'Understanding PT statistics'
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'Understanding PT performance assessment'
• Report on the results of a survey on performance evaluation on non quantitative PT
• Development and translation of a leaflet on 'Basic instructions for participants in a proficiency testing scheme'

* Contact the PTWG Secretariat