Validation and verification as conformity assessment are understood to be a confirmation of reliability of information declared in claims.

Both activities are distinguished according to the timeline of the assessed claim. Validation is applied to claims regarding an intended future use or projected outcome (confirmation of plausibility), while verification is applied to claims regarding events that have already occurred or results that have already been obtained (confirmation of truthfulness).

Current examples for validation/verification as conformity assessment activities include claims related to greenhouse gas emissions, environmental labelling, product declarations and footprint, such as the environmental product declaration, sustainability or environmental reporting.

Potential new applications can include claims relating to construction technology, energy management, financial management, industrial automation systems, software and systems engineering, artificial intelligence, information technology, healthcare products and medical devices, machine safety, safety and design engineering, and social responsibility. However, in sector applications where validation/verification are not performed as conformity assessment activities as defined by this document, these activities are not within the scope of this document.