• COFRAC (French accreditation body) accreditation for its provision of interlaboratory comparisons (ILC)
• Partnerships (ANSES, Aquaref)
• 1400 members among which 30% internationals (covers around 60 countries)
• Around 200 laboratories participating in the tests in the fields of water microbiology and basic physico-chemical analyses
• Development support (transfer of technology to Cuba)

• Member of Commissions: ISO (TC/147-SC4), French standardisation Committee, COFRAC and technical assessor for the  COFRAC (ISO 17025) ⇒ Participation in ISO and French standards development
• Groups  of experts in the field of the environment or medical biology that support AGLAE to provide proficiency tests adapted to laboratories' needs and to interpret laboratories results
• Skills, level of qualification and experience of the Association's employees, particularly in the technical and statistical fields that enable to design proficiency tests:
  • On samples close to those analysed in routine to validate the analytical chain
  • Adapted test design: duplicate samples and repeated measurements to assess laboratory reproducibility and repeatability

With a complete service offer:

• Diversity of matrices and large list of parameters
• Additional test samples to evaluate technicians, test new methods
•  Supply of Quality Control Materials for the analysis of sludge, sediment and soil
• Training sessions in water microbiology in order to implement a quantitative Internal Quality Control, evaluate the uncertainty of measurement, characterise a method

 With quick returns, source of improvement:

• Quick review two days after the deadline to report the results in order to implement, if necessary, corrective actions
• Complete report within about 3 weeks including:
  • The study of the influence of analytical methods, equiment and consommables
  • Estimation of your uncertainties in water microbiology
  • Check of your uncertainty estimates in chemistry (zeta-score)
  • The evaluation of trueness and measurements repeatability

⇒ These elements provide suggestions to identify the origin of possible anomalies

• Easy, annual registration as a subscription
• Online schedule of events with a system for monitoring the report of results and reminders in the event of non-entry
• Personalized report: direct access to each laboratory performance
• Personalized member area of the web site with information storage
• Pre-filled online results forms
• Results file as an Excel sheet so that laboratories can easily update their control charts
• Possible results' summaries per period

• Satisfaction surveys and collection of needs to best meet members' expectations
• Tests based on French / European approvals, the Water Framework Directive and laboratory accreditation
• Development of tests during the year to meet new expectations
• Customized service offers
•  Members-focused investments

• Commercial policy with price stability
• Discounts based on invoiced test volumes
• Possible splitting of the payment according to the amount of the service offer
• More favourable payment terms than EU legislation