1. In my understanding of statistics, one should only use r^2, not r. I believe that is the correct form, based on the equations involved.
2. As others have noted, r^2 is not a perfect indicator of calibration quality. "It is a good place to start, but a bad place to stop." I can show you curves with r^2 > 0.999 where the analyzed concentration for some of the standards is off by more than 50%.
My preference for evaluation:
a. r^2
b. residuals plot
c. zero intercept test
The fact that regulatory bodies only specify r^2 as a criterion reflects the statistical ignorance of the individual(s) who wrote the document. Actually, it reflects the statistical ignorance of our society in general, but that's a little off topic.