The conference is part of an EU project on “Strengthening the Metrology System of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, designed to help improve metrology in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the country moves towards full EU integration.
The metrology project, worth Euro 1 million, will help develop the BiH metrology infrastructure in accordance with provisions laid out in the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). It will also help BiH companies develop EU connections by giving them access to EU-standard metrology services.
Opening the conference, Boris Iarochevitch, Chargé d’ Affaires of the EU Delegation to BiH, stressed that “metrology is a key component of the Quality Infrastructure with Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Accreditation provision in the SAA.”
Participants at today’s conference included representatives of the State and Entity Metrology Institutes, government officials and members of international organizations, as well as academics and representatives of NGOs, metrology associations and laboratories for verification, calibration and testing in the metrology sector, and representatives of other bodies responsible for ensuring BiH conformity with international assessment of measuring standards.
Metrology is an area in which Bosnia and Herzegovina has made solid progress. As a result of this, the BiH Institute of Metrology has been granted full membership of the European Association of National Metrology Institutes – EURAMET. The Institute has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Association of Assay Offices, and has reached bilateral agreements with the national metrology institutes of Germany and Austria.
“Despite staff increases, the Institute needs further human resources in order to fulfil its tasks,” Iarochevitch told participants at today’s Conference, pointing out that the BiH strategy for developing the metrology system still has to be adopted. He noted that there is still no cooperation and coordination between the State and Entity Metrology Institutes.
“We have done everything necessary to strengthen and improve the BiH Metrology Institute,” said Dušan Kordik, Team Leader of the metrology project. “It was already operating but in a way that largely relied on out-of-date former Yugoslavian regulations. The Institute adopted new legislation seven years ago, but if Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to join the European Union it has to bring all of its legislation fully into line with the EU.” . Also Director of the BiH Metrology Institute Esad Tuzović emphasized that EU project has been important because it placed metrology efforts in BiH into the broader regional and European context.
Important outputs of the EU project on strengthening the metrology system in BiH have been the harmonisation of metrology legislation in line with EU requirements, the “Strategic Plan of the National Metrology System of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period of 2010-2015” and an overall improvement in the level of technical expertise in the BiH metrology sector.
The project will be concluded on 28 December 2010.
