COMAR helps you find a suitable certified reference material (CRM) for your laboratory. For a large number of materials offered worldwide we have produced data sheets and collected them in the COMAR database. You can browse and search the database at no cost. What is not included in the database are reference materials that come without a certificate.

Our history

The Code d'Indexation des Matériaux de Référence or COMAR was the name of a database produced by the French Laboratoire National d'Essais (LNE) in the late 1970s. The database was presented to the ISO Committee on Reference Materials (ISO-REMCO), which encouraged its use as the basis for an international information system on CRMs. A formal cooperation between LNE, NPL (United Kingdom) and BAM (Germany) was then established with the aim of improving and propagating the database. By the mid 1980s, the COMAR database contained about 3000 CRMs.

Until 1990, four new participating organizations had followed and the time had come to formalize the cooperation on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The secretariat was provided by LNE until 1998 and from then on by BAM. Originally, COMAR was sold on floppy disc and updated once a year. Since 2003, updates are made continuously, and the database is free on internet. Currently it is planned to join forces with a very similar database for PT schemes called EPTIS (www.eptis.org). Initial preparations for this cooperation, including a complete software overhaul have already started.

Membership

Each participating economy has one coding centre responsible for data entry and maintenance. RM producers can contact them for inclusion of their CRMs in the COMAR database, or any other matter concerning COMAR. Coding centres for other countries have not yet been appointed. If you are a national institute and wish to take part in the COMAR network for your country we kindly invite you to apply for participation. The terms and conditions of our cooperation are laid down in our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which has been agreed by all partners. There are no financial obligations. Please contact the secretariat if you need any further details.

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