In normal practice a national accreditation agency is appointed by, and responsible to an education ministry or other appropriate national body.  Such a national accreditation agency will act independently of the higher education institutions for whose degrees it reviews and accredits. 

In the case of an international accreditation agency there is no international body to appoint it.  The approach adopted in setting up EAALS was for the EAALS Board to be appointed by and respond to ICA, the Association for European Life Science Universities.  The ultimate decision making body of ICA is the ICA General Assembly which comprises one representative from each ICA member institutions.

The ICA General Assembly is responsible for agreeing the  Statutes of EAALS and the appointment of the EAALS Board.  The independence of the EAALS Board in making decisions regarding the accreditation of degree programmes is guaranteed in the statutes as follows:

Article Eight Statutes

·         Neither the General Assembly of the Association of European Life Science Universities (ICA) nor the ICA Board nor any other associated body linked with ICA has the right to question, overturn or strike out any decision of the EAALS Board relating to the quality assurance and accreditation of any individual degree programme. 

·         The only occasion when a decision of the EAALS Board will be changed is on the instruction of the EAALS Committee of Appeal