Standards & Standardisation in Serbia 2016

STANDARDS & STANDARDISATION

in Serbia

2016

INTERVIEW

Serbian Standards at The European Level

The Institute for the Standardisation of Serbia (ISS) brings Serbian standards that are harmonised with international and European standards. The overall objective of ISS is to develop a national standardisation system that will enable it to successfully satisfy the needs of potential stakeholders in our country, as well as to create the conditions necessary to successfully integrate Serbia into the European Union

TATJANA BOJANIĆ, ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STANDARDISATION OF SERBIA (ISS)

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tandards are a strategic tool that provides guidance to companies towards more efficient operations, increasing productivity and reducing costs. Moreover, standards also assist businesses in dealing with

ISS has implemented over 96 per cent of all European standards, while the Republic of Serbia has transposed more than 75 per cent of all European directives within the framework of negotiation on Chapter 1 - Free movement of goods.

Standards eliminate barriers to doing business, provide consistent quality for products and services and facilitate their exchange, so the application of standards in business also enables increased economic activity in the region some of the most demanding challenges of modern business and allow them to gain access to new markets. The harmonisation of criteria facilitates free and fair global trade for developing countries.

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STANDARDS & STANDARDISATION in Serbia 2016

• On the fringes of the recent gathering of political leaders and businesspeople of the Western Balkans, the fifth Balkan conference on standardisation was held. In which way does

this kind of common work of national standardisation bodies contribute to linking the economies of the region and their inclusion in European and global trends?

- The regional Initiative to bring together national bodies for standardisation from the Balkans began in June 2011 in Ohrid, with the aim of strengthening cooperation, enhancing the process of standardisation and standardisation activities, more efficient work and successful participation in European standardisation. The Fifth Balkan Conference, which was held in Belgrade, was attended by representatives of national standards bodies from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Monte-

negro, Croatian, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia and Turkey, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Economy and European organisations for standardisation, which exchanged experiences in the field of cooperation with government institutions, the translation of standards, financial sustainability, as well as application and participation in regional and EU projects.

The conference was characterised as very successful and the ISS was evaluated as being a good host. Standards eliminate barriers to doing business, provide consistent quality for products and services and facilitate their exchange, so the application of standards in business also enables increased economic activity in the region.

more than 75 per cent of all European directives within the framework of negotiation Chapter 1 - Free movement of goods.

• Please tell us something about the importance and place of national standardisation policy and the role of ISS in European and other international standardisation bodies.

- Each country has a unique, recog-

public of Serbia within the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), within which it has the status of a full member, as well as the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC), in which it has the status of an associate member. In addition, the ISS signed a

• What kind of role does the ISS have in Serbia’s EU accession process and harmonisation with European directives and standards?

- The ISS’s full membership in European standardisation organisations (the European Committee for Standardisation and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation) is one of the mandatory conditions for European integration, and is in line

Expert support is always needed. However, the ISS is pleased to note that in about 160 commissions for standards around 1,600 experts from various fields of standardisation work voluntarily. These are representatives of companies, laboratories, higher education institutions, state administration bodies and others with the revised National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA).

The ISS filed an application at the end of May 2016 and an assessment visit of European organisations is scheduled to begin in September. The ISS was previously obliged to take on 80 per cent of all European standards, which it fulfilled and exceeded back in 2012.

At this point, the ISS has taken on more than 96% of all European standards as Serbian standards, while the Republic of Serbia has transposed

nised national standardisation body.

In the Republic of Serbia there is a developed national quality infrastructure, which is testified to by the adoption of a national strategy in this field, which entered into force in 2015. With the adoption of amendments to the Law on Standardisation and related secondary legislation, the work of the ISS also complies fully with the latest European regulations in the field of standardisation. The ISS represents and protects the interests of the Re-

Memorandum of Understanding with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and there it gained the status of “ETSI’s national standards organisation”.

• How much technical and financial support does Serbia have in this area?

- Expert support is always needed.

However, the ISS is pleased to note that in about 160 commissions for standards around 1,600 experts from various fields of standardisation work voluntarily. These are representatives of companies, laboratories, higher education institutions, state administration bodies and others. At the same time, ISS employees have excellent competencies that are constantly being advanced. The ISS is an indirect budget user and the funding is carried out through the Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for the area of

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standardisation. Investing in the development of ISS is extremely important, and despite the application of austerity measures in recent years ISS managed to arrange the facilities in which it operates, to establish a training centre, to reconstruct computer equipment and thus prepare to take on the obligations that derive from full membership in European organisations for standardisation.

• The general public most often associates standards with manufacturing processes and, to a much less extent, with the services sector. How much is the importance of both recognised in our country?

- Services are now a significant driver of economic growth, so with a desire to highlight the potential that standards can offer the services sector, during June the ISS got involved in a series of

Research of the Ministry of Economy within the project GIZ ACCESS showed that SMEs are not sufficiently informed about standards, although case studies show that in the long run the application of standards reduces operating costs • What is the structure of financing for the ISS like and what is the share of income from the sale of standards and related documents in the structure of your income? In which way do you finance training within the ISS? - The ISS receives slightly less than 70 per cent of its funds from the state budget, while more than 30 per cent is secured from its own resources. The budget of the Republic of Serbia finances income and membership fees in international and European standardisation organisations, while all other activities, including the training of employees, are financed by the ISS from its own revenues.

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ISO activities organised in order to promote these standards, the application of which can provide a key advantage by continuously improving operations, thereby improving customer satisfaction. Potential interested parties for the implementation of standards in this area can be from organisations that are engaged in trade, tourism, facilities management, international organisations, state bodies, consumer associations and others.

• To what extent are domestic companies, primarily SMEs, aware of the impact of the adoption of standards on business success?

- Research of the Ministry of Econ-

omy within the project GIZ ACCESS showed that SMEs are not sufficiently informed about standards, although case studies show that in the long run the application of standards reduces operating costs. That’s why in 2014, at the gathering of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce dedicated to SMEs, the ISS provided all participants with a free translation of the ISO’s publication entitled “Economic benefits from implemented standards”, which is available publicly via the ISS website.

Due to high demand, the ISS subsequently organised several meetings dedicated to SMEs in order to make information on standards and the standardisation process itself more accessible to them.

• You provide young professionals with the opportunity to volunteer with you and gain their first experiences in the business. How much are you sought after as an employer and how much are experts in the field of standardisation in demand on the market?

- In 2011 the ISS was enrolled in the records of volunteer organisers and so far we have very positive experience.

There is immeasurable enthusiasm, commitment and desire for the advancement of volunteers, which ISS in turn provide with an opportunity to gain experience in a specific field.

A job at ISS is creative and specific, but it is not so easy to produce a so-called “standardiser”, because, in addition to professional qualifications, it demands a specific way of thinking, good knowledge of professional terminology in Serbian and English, and a certain amount of time is needed to learn the job.

The need for experts in the field of quality in the market depends on the skills and commitment of employers, but I personally think that is the job of the future and that it will become increasingly popular in the future. What we also need to work on intensively is the introduction of standards in the education system, which, viewed in the long term, is one way to improve and develop economic activity in our country. ■

CORPORATE

Certification For Sustainable Operations Company "CERTOP" today occupies a dominant role on the market of Central and Southeast Europe in the field of the certification of management systems and is becoming one of the leading certification organisations

TIBOR ŠANDOR, CEO AT CERTOP COO D.O.O.

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eginning from the fact that in this era of globalisation in which we live and operate, integration is one of the foundations for sustainable business, Certop has had an important role since 2008 as a professional and reliable intermediary with internationally recognised certificates and highly professional quality of service.

• This year marks a decade of CERTOP's operations on the market of Serbia and in SEE. How would you assess trends in the process of standardisation in this period? Where have we progressed and where are we lagging behind?

- Certop has operated in Southeast Europe since 2006, and we can note that Serbia has made evident progress in the field of standardisation: the Accreditation Body of Serbia has become a full member of the European organisation for accreditation, as well as other international forums in the field of standardisation; requests increasingly arrive from organisations for which the introduction and certification of management systems represents a strategic objective in order to improve operations, and not merely as one of the conditions of a tender or image.

In Serbia today there are ever more organisations which – in addition to standards: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 – also introduce and certify other systems according to standards such as: ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 30001, ISO 50001 and ISO 26000, FSSC 22000, the “CE” mark etc.

Unfortunately, disloyal competition is still present on the market (work without accreditation, conflict of interest, unprofessionalism etc.), which causes enormous damage to organisations and the country as a whole in the field of standardisation. Their behaviour directly threatens the process of integrating organisations on the international market.

•Without adequate standards there can be no emergence on international markets. In which way does CERTOP help Serbian companies penetrate regional and other markets?

- We live in a time when globalisation and integration have become indispensable in the business world. It is essential to connect with international partners, and standards enable the harmonisation of the operations of every organisation with international requirements, norms and regulations, and form the basis of communication between businesses worldwide. With Serbia’s entry into the European Union, for companies that want to do business with other countries, applying standards in their operations will be an essential condition in order for them to be able to stay on the market.

Since the beginning of its work in Serbia, company

still not sufficiently represented in Serbia, and which have good prospects of rapid expansion in application.

This primarily relates to all systems of energy management, environmental protection, management information security systems and others.

Our company, in the spirit of its social responsibility, offers useful projects for achieving significant savings in terms of energy consumption. These are projects that preserve resources and which – without abandoning the comfort zone of citizens and reducing the efficiency of operations in organisations – also provide a significant contribution not only in the field of energy efficiency, but also in the preservation of the environment: e.g. with the project “Virtual power station”, which can also form part of the Energy Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia to the year 2025.

Unfortunately, disloyal competition is still present on the market (work without accreditation, conflict of interest, unprofessionalism etc.), which causes enormous damage to organisations and the country as a whole in the field of standardisation CERTOP, as an intermediary of expertise and reliability with internationally recognised certificates and highly professional quality services (certification of management systems, verification process, verification of suppliers, maintenance of international forums, training and seminars) contributes directly to its business partners’ competitiveness and helps in the process of their integration into international markets.

• In recent years you have dealt quite a lot with energy efficiency and environmental protection, which represent some of the weak points of the Serbian economy as a whole. What do you offer your clients in these areas?

- In its development plans, CERTOP specifically expresses the desire and ambition to attain a significant position in the field of certification of management systems in the coming period in areas which are

• How do you assess the interest of the state and local governments in standardisation processes in Serbia, especially in the light of EU accession?

- The EU seeks partnership with countries that meet the requirements of European standards and European values. With the help of state institutions and NALED, Serbia has to date taken a serious step forward in the implementation of standards in local governments, although it is still evident that a lack of financial resources, competent and trained staff hamper the process of certification in the state administration.

In the process of integration into the European Union, Serbia needs to invest further efforts in order to reach the level of implementation of standards in relation to state administration in EU Member States and to take from them positive experiences in the implementation of management systems. ■

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INTERVIEW

Standardisation: Guarantee of Quality Compared to the recent past, the attitude towards certification has improved drastically. An increasing number of companies are opting to get certified because they’ve realised that they need to do so for the sake of their production, the services they provide and the way they deal with competitors. In practical terms, certification implies that a company knows at any given moment who, what, when and how activities pertaining to the optimal functioning of their business system are performed DONATA VEG JURISTOVSKI, DIRECTOR OF PANCERT D.O.O., NOVI SAD

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ith the EU accession process came higher demand for certification, because Serbian companies are becoming increasingly export-orientated.

The sales segment on this market is extremely competitive. Quality plays an important role not only in securing new markets, but also in sustaining existing ones.

- Apart from the Quality Management System (QMS) certificate that is in line with the requirements of the SRPS ISO 9001 standard, the environmental management certificate, according to the SRPS ISO 14 001 standard, the occupational health & safety certificate in line with the SRPS OHSAS 18001 standard and HACCP system certifica-

Pancert provides certification in various segments and for various types of organisations – both production and service.

Most of our clients come from the machining segment, electronics, healthcare, construction, retail and wholesale Just having ‘quality’ is no longer enough for the market. Now companies need to have internationally recognised proof of quality in the form of the ISO 9001 – the Quality Management System certificate.

• Which innovative certificates has Pancert included in its portfolio?

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STANDARDS & STANDARDISATION in Serbia 2016

tion, according to Codex Alimentarius CAC/RCP1-1969, Rev. 4(2003), Pancert recently widened its certification portfolio to include the QMS food safety certificate, in line with the SRPS EN ISO 22000 standard, the QMS information safety certificate, as per the SRPS ISO/IEC 27001 standard, and the QMS

energy certificate, according to the SRPS EN ISO 50001 standard.

• Which of the certificates that you provide is the most popular on the market, or which ones generate the most interest?

- Those are by far the SRPS ISO 9001 Quality Management System, SRPS ISO 14001 for environmental management and SRPS OHSAS 18001 for occupational health & safety. Also, organisations that are keen on protecting the confidentiality of their business information, or are investing in anything related to the IT industry, are very interested in the SRPS ISO/IEC 27001 standard. The SRPS EN ISO 50001 energy certificate is quite in demand with those organisations that want to estab-

lish energy efficiency and energy consumption systems and processes.

• Pancert also offers a wide range of quality management certificates for different business sectors. Which sectors are these and which one brings the biggest number of clients to you?

- Pancert provides certification in various segments and for various types of organisations – both production and service. Most of our clients come from machining segment, electronics, healthcare, construction, retail and wholesale.

• What benefits does a company gain in being certified by you?

- The ultimate goal of all businesses is for their clients to be happy and to continue cooperating with them. Accordingly, it is easy to see a link between Pancert and our business processes. The benefits of cooperating with Pancert are immediate. Our clients don’t have to wait for their business standards to be officially certified in order to start seeing these benefits.

Pancert’s staff has decades of business experience which they use in dealing with clients, something that is not only beneficial for them but can sometimes be game-changing.

By certifying their management systems, companies bring order to their work processes, while ensuring that the products or services subjected to the certification process will be of acceptable quality for the end user. As a result of the proper implementation of standards, profits are bigger, overheads are smaller, products and services are of better quality, mistakes are reduced to a minimum, a lot of time is saved on performing work tasks, obstacles to doing business both nationally and internationally are removed, companies can raise retail prices both on the domestic and global market, based on the quality of their product or service, fulfilling market requirements is easier, and competitiveness is enhanced.

In short, a happy client is a returning client: the biggest success that everyone in the value chain can achieve.

• Do you think quality certificates, as required documents in the produc-

tion or sale of goods and services, have reached a satisfactory level in Serbia, and how can this process improve further?

- Certification has not reached a satisfactory level because corporate management is still not sufficiently aware of how certification and standards can improve their company’s operations and standardise quality. They still see it as a necessary expense or a marketing tool to sell their products or services. Corporate decisionmakers need to be educated more in order to stop viewing standardisation as a cost and rather as an investment and improvement of their business processes, and one which can only yield positive effects, both short and long-term.

Standardisation is

demanding markets with their products and services, and thus having to face tougher competition, they realise that they need standards in order to advance their operations.

Thus, a company’s life cycle reaches a new milestone: implementation and certification of standards. Serbia and Serbian companies are currently going through a filtering phase during which companies are split into those

As a result of the proper implementation of standards, profits are bigger, overheads are smaller, products and services are of better quality, mistakes are reduced to a minimum, a lot of time is saved on performing work tasks, the obstacles for doing business, both nationally and internationally, are removed, companies can raise retail prices both on the domestic and global markets based on the quality of their product or service, fulfilling market requirements is easier, and competitiveness is enhanced not a fictitious need but a reality of contemporary management. After the basic benefits that standardisation brings, companies need to work on their marketing in order to access even larger markets with their products or services, and thereby gain more satisfied clients.

• Could you compare certification trends in Serbia to those in the countries of this region?

- We can draw a parallel between certification and accessing more developed markets. In the process of regional countries gaining faster access to more

that meet certain quality requirements and those that don’t. What happens next is that every company that has standardised its business processes – a guarantee of quality – will survive and prosper on the market. On the other hand, those companies which cannot grasp modern business will remain local, or will share the destiny of companies which are forced to sell their business or close because they are not able to stand up to competition. This is the destiny that some companies in regional countries have had, while some of them will go through this phase in the near future. ■ STANDARDS & STANDARDISATION in Serbia 2016

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INTERVIEW

Standards – The Basis For Market Expansion The policy of INSA AD is based on the use of a market-orientated business system in order to always provide high quality services in accordance with the requirements and expectations of customers SVETLANA MILANOVIĆ, QUALITY MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVE - QUALITY MANAGER OF THE LABORATORY OF INSA – WATCH INDUSTRY

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espite the fact that the operations of INSA AD rely on the adoption and use of the most modern standards in the production of measuring devices, there is a fear that the adoption of new ordinances and laws, through which we approach European standards, can limit and hinder the development and progress of these kinds of companies.

• The high quality of your products in the sector of precision mechanics, in addition to a highly qualified workforce, also demands modern standards. How is INSA equipped in that respect?

tems ensure the top quality of all of our products and services.

The basic criteria which the strategy of INSA AD relies on are: - establishing a management system which is qualitatively compliant with international standards: ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14001: 2005 and OHSAS: 2007, and which will harmonise the interests of our company, the community and the interests of customers and users of our services; - attracting new customers and users by providing high-quality products and services; - establishing and maintaining the responsibility of all employees for the application of

In the last six years Watch Industry INSA has produced about 45,000 water meters annually and serviced around 35,000 water meters in its workshops - The available resources of our company are primarily professional staff with compatible profiles, trained for the development, manufacture and provision of other services from our business domain, specialised and reliable equipment and devices, as well as other infrastructure, which represents a guarantee of the quality of our products and services. In addition to this, strict adherence to legal regulations, the implementation of applicable standards and prescribed documentation of quality sys-

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STANDARDS & STANDARDISATION in Serbia 2016

prescribed documentation and the operating of an integrated management system in terms of achieving the required quality of products and services, environmental protection and the protection of health and safety at work; - monitoring global trends in terms of modernising and improving operations with the application of the same in all areas of our business, and with the aim of constantly improving quality; - advancing the competence of employees alongside the high-quality execution of

work duties through continuous training and professional development; - creating safe and healthy working conditions without occupational diseases and injuries at work; - timely implementation of all measures aimed at reducing the level of risk in terms of environmental protection and health and safety at work; - optimal use of all available technical, technological, human and other resources; All of our employees have the right and obligation to uphold the principles of adopted policies and to participate in the improvement of the quality system and environmental protection.

• What are all the standards that INSA applies in its work?

- The most important dates for our company should definitely include the following: 2006 – transformation of DP INSA into INSA a.d.; September 2003 – obtaining of the certificate ISO 9001: 2008; May 2011 – obtaining of a certificate of accreditation for the laboratory for the control of water meters and gas meters according to the standard SRPS ISO/IEC 17020: 2002; November 2011 – obtaining of confirmation as the first licensed body for the performing of operations for the verification of

water meters and gas meters; February 2013 – obtaining of the CE mark for water meters with a nominal diameter of 13-40mm in accordance with Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe from 31st March 2004 for measuring instruments; April 2016 – obtaining of the certificate SRPS 14001: 2004.

By the end of 2016 we expect to receive accreditation for the Laboratory for testing water meters, as the first laboratory of this kind in Serbia.

All standards are updated, checked and improved every year.

• To what extent do the standards which you apply aid you in contemporary market conditions?

- The theory and practice of quality management is experiencing tremendous changes in the world. This is best seen in the change of attitude towards customer requirements for quality, as well as interest groups and organisations. These postulates provide the basis for standards ISO9000 (QMS), ISO 17020 (QM/QA), ISO 14001, as well as other models of standards for quality management (QM) in various branches of industry.

Today satisfying customer demands is a completely normal thing, while satisfying new expectations is the goal that needs to be achieved. In addition to the customer, corresponding benefits must also be realised for other stakeholder organisations, both financial and non-financial. Thus, for example, all stakeholders demand accurate and reliable

• During 67 years of turbulent history, the former Zemun watch factory, now joint-stock company Insa, has completely changed its profile, production and market strategy.

Which postulates are the current opera-tions of Insa based on?

- In the last six years Watch Industry INSA has produced about 45,000 water meters annually and serviced around 35,000 water meters in its workshops. Ever increasing demands of customer for quality, as well as increasingly shorter deadlines for the delivery of goods have led to the need for the former working unit – for checking the quality of water meters and gas meters – to grow first into an accredited laboratory, and then into a control body. Even then we were the first accredited and authorised laboratory for controlling and verifying water meters and gas meters. And we are still successfully advancing and improving its work. Now there is a need for

The theory and practice of quality management is experiencing tremendous changes in the world. This is best seen in the change of attitude towards customer requirements for quality, as well as interest groups and organisations results of laboratory tests, ensuring the effective management of environmental protection, health protection and the safety of employees, ergonomic, information and social systems within organisations.

As such, the trend of standardising business management systems inevitably expands, which our organisation recognised and adopted on time. Thus our company received back in 2013 the CE mark according to Directive 2004/22/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE and by 01.01.2017 we expect the harmonisation of this standard with our harmonised standards and regulations.

a laboratory for testing the compliance of the product, i.e. water meters, which will be the first of its kind in Serbia. All this has led to INSA developing and selling such products and services, which over the long-term enable the business strength of the enterprise. Such a product places us in the circle of recognised, commercially successful, market-orientated and qualitatively reputable companies.

• INSA can boast of being the first in Serbia to have established an independently accredited laboratory for testing water meters. What are the experiences in the work of the laboratory to date?

- The accreditation of laboratories is used worldwide as a means of confirming their technical competence to perform specific types of testing.

By obtaining the certificate of accreditation, the laboratory is able at any given moment to convince their clients that the results of the tests it performs are reliable, and that testing itself is carried out in a competent manner.

The accreditation of laboratories is the best way to measure the performance of laboratories, which establishes its better market position and enables the international recognition of technical competence. We expect the accreditation of the laboratory for testing water meters according to standard ISO 17025 by October this year.

• In your opinion, could state incentives accelerate the process of standardisation in Serbia?

- According to the new Regulations on Standards and the Law on Metrology, we all have to harmonise by 1st January 2017. We, as the only real manufacturers of water meters, which are 90 per cent produced domestically, will not be able to carry out the first verification of the criteria, which causes us a major problem. In Serbia there is no appointed body in existence that performs such work. I think it is up to our state, the Ministry of Economy and the Directorate for Measures, to do its utmost to somehow solve this problem for the only real manufacturer of water meters - not only in Serbia, but also in the region.

• In the EU accession process it is necessary to adopt a large number of new standards in all industrial branches and sectors. How do you assess the trends of standardisation in the sector of industry to which you belong?

- We believe that standards and standardisation, through the adoption of new ordinances and laws, via which we approach European standards, should not restrict and prevent the development and progress of these kinds of companies.

We hope that a solution will be found that is good for us and our country, that money will not go into foreign hands because they will be forced to seek an appointed body in neighbouring countries. ■

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INTERVIEW

Anticipating The Next Developments As with the business ecosystem as a whole, management systems are always evolving to satisfy this ever changing world, and this means it’s basically a slow moving target for the people working with standards. Standards development organizations must lead the way in anticipating the next developments in industry and technology, and so their involvement with key groups in the conceptual stages of these developments is imperative

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he most recent releases of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001 and the standards integrated approach saw some welcome changes. These changes give more freedom to businesses to satisfy the standards requirements in a way that suits their needs. With a less directive approach to the standards comes more possibilities for businesses to mould the requirements to their operations, which in one way or another always have some unique characteristics.

• DAS Certification Ltd is a British company, with the pedigree of a country that traditionally operates on the principles of established standards.

What trends do you see for certification in Serbia and the region from this perspective?

- Following this proven and established model is an important action which has in the last years already provided many positive influences on the credibility and overall methodology we use in the South East European (SEE) region to improve the services, internal structures, and the security of our business activities, and in practically all industrial sectors.

The most critical aspect of the certification business is business-wide adoption and true integration of the standards to reap the most ben-

IVAN POCAJT, CEO, DAS SEE AN AGENT OF DAS CERTIFICATION LTD • Your company offers solutions for a wide range of activities. Which certificates have the highest interest in Serbia?

- There is a wide range of activities going on in the SEE region, and so there is interest certifying in a wide range of businesses and specific business activities. This, combined with an ever-increasing

The most critical aspect of the certification business is business-wide adoption and true integration of the standards to reap the most benefits, and this comes with the need to work hard on educating businesses, in particular management, about the advantages that implementing standards can contribute to the success of their organizations efits, and this comes with the need to work hard on educating businesses, in particular management, about the advantages that implementing standards can contribute to the success of their organizations.

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recognition of the importance of certification in industry, means that more and more varied enquiries are made about different types of certification.

The core standards that DAS Certification Ltd covers are ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, OHSAS

STANDARDS & STANDARDISATION in Serbia 2016

18001, ISO 20000-1 as well as a number of other more specific standards in information security and food safety.

DAS SEE, an agent of DAS Certification Ltd, has clients working with all of the above standards, but we have a specific focus on providing specialist support and certification in the ICT sector. Whether its tailoring our services to the rapidly increasing near-shoring activities of foreign business settling in the region and specializing in IT and Development services or tackling the many stringent requirements of the financial sector, DAS SEE has strong competence in all areas.

• How much help and support can DAS Certification Ltd provide the Serbian economy in the process of Serbia's EU accession?

- We believe that what we are doing is important to assist in the country’s accession to the EU. Standards were initially set up to help standardize activities and give third party assurance that the operational activities and services of the certified company were of a high, reliable standard.

This, in turn, opens the borders with regards international trade, which means that from a domestic point of view, greater financial opportunities can be realized with new business being won on the international stage – whether it’s continuing to develop some key export concerns such as food or mining outputs or taking advantage of the high technical quality yet reasonable cost of resources in the region to work with foreign companies outside of SEE. In short certification can be a key contributor to increasing profitability at the business and therefore national economic level. ■

CORPORATE

Standards For Long-Term Survival and Development on The Market Meter & Control smart meters are developed and manufactured in line with current international standards. Relevant certificates have opened the door for us to sell our products in the EU and beyond JOVAN VUJASINOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF METER & CONTROL D.O.O.

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he meters have the MID certificate which guarantees compliance with technical requirements valid in the EU area. Since the certification process was carried out in a renowned Dutch laboratory, the certificates issued are valid in many other countries (the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). The meters also possess the DLMS/COSEM certificate, while, two years ago, they received the IDIS interoperability certificate which puts Meter&Control head-to-head with the four leading smart meters manufacturers in the world which also have the IDIS certificate and operate globally.

• What elements and standards were used to create Meter & Control’s smart meters that have been well received by the electricity transmission sector?

- Our smart meters are built in accordance with current international standards that govern this segment. Relevant certificates such as MID, DLMS/COSEM and IDIS interoperability certificate, have opened the door to sell our products in the EU and beyond.

• You have standards that ensure access to global markets. What are the company’s immediate plans in terms of export?

- We currently deliver to the countries in the region. We also expect our hard work on the international market to translate into deliveries to the EU soon. Also, there are a few excellent opportunities to cooperate with partners in the Russian Federation and the Middle East.

• What are the current trends in implementation

of standards and standardisation in domestic companies that operate in the modern technology sector like Meter & Control?

- On one hand, there are companies that see new standards as another problem or an imposed obligation. On the other hand, there are those that view technological development and new standards as a chance to become even better and more competitive on the market, to have better and safer products and services and more satisfied customers. They believe that standards will ensure their long-term survival and development on the market, better business operations and company development. Meter & Control belongs to the latter group. We are the first company in Serbia authorized to do meter verification and the only domestic manufacturer to have certified our meters in line with the new regulation that

Association, G3-PLC Alliance and EUROCAL. In this way, Meter & Control not only adopts and implements the latest standards but also takes part in their preparation and creation.

• Do you think that the state offers enough support to innovative companies in Serbia with the end goal of developing this sector?

- I would like to mention a large-scale project, realised by the EPS, which entails the implementation of the Smart Metering System where the state is supposed to allow domestic manufacturers to bid in the tender and subsequently to become project contractors, instead of being reduced only to subcontractors of foreign companies. This is a concrete opportunity that will be the driving force behind the Serbian electronic industry and its related sectors, as well as giving Serbian companies

On one hand, there are companies that see new standards as another problem or an imposed obligation. On the other hand, there are those that view technological development and new standards as a chance to become even better and more competitive on the market, to have better and safer products and services and more satisfied customers complies with the European MID Directive.

We care very much about the quality of our products, environmental protection, health & safety and information protection, which is why we have implemented the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, and ISO/IEC 27001 standards.

Furthermore, Meter & Control is a member of several committees at the Institute of Standardisation, two groups in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and, internationally, of the DLMS User

excellent references for accessing the international market. Also, logistics support would be of great value for establishing contacts, having group market access, opening new offices and penetrating new markets.

At the same time, domestic manufacturers that use the highest global standards should be protected by the state from unfair competition by insisting on implementation of these very standards. ■

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INTERVIEW

Halal Services Gaining Momentum First and foremost, the standardisation of Halal products relies on principles of faith – Islam. Every Muslim is required to eat Halal food and strict rules about consuming food must be obeyed. Apart from food, these rules pertain to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals too. Halal products are healthy products that are safe and have been additionally tested

SAMIR TANDIR, DIRECTOR OF THE AGENCY FOR HALAL QUALITY CERTIFICATION

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here is a growing demand for Halal products, consumed by over 1.8 billion people and generate over $650 billion in annual sales. The number of producers in Serbia, which have chosen to implement the Halal standards, has been steadily growing because of the tough competition on the domestic market, investors that come from Islamic countries, and boosting sales abroad. To corroborate this, let us just say that our reference lists includes companies like Delta Agrar-Yuhor, MK Grupa-Carnex, Sunoko, Agrokor-Frikom, Puratos, Zlatiborac, Neoplanta, Perutnina Ptuj, Vindija, Somboled, Mini Pani, MI Djurdjevic, All Berries, Al Pack and many others.

• To what extent have Serbia and the region been utilising the potential of the Halal market and the benefits offered by the Agency of Halal Quality Certification?

- I have to admit that Serbia is lagging behind both the world and the region in this aspect, just like in almost everything. Talk about producing Halal food and rendering Halal services gains momentum only when investors from the UAE, Turkey and Azerbaijan come here. I have to say that the official policy of the Serbian government has certainly contributed to this because the government targeted the Halal market as one of the biggest

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development opportunities for our economy in its economic agenda. Many people don’t know this, but the former Yugoslavia was the biggest producer of Halal meat and meat products in the world in 1990. So this is nothing new. We want to restore our economy to the level it deserves. Our Agency is only a service to help with that.

• What are the most important criteria that a candidate for Halal certification has to meet?

- The procedure is the same for all companies and it includes several stages. The first stage is training internal auditors from every sector (management, procurement, production, storage, packing, distribution, etc.), the second stage is preparing the relevant documents, compliance, and internal audits, and the third is a certification audit.

After getting its certificate, the company has to be audited by the Agency four times a year. Two audits are scheduled in advance, and two are unannounced. Also, there are laboratory analyses of the samples we take during the audit and at retail facilities.

• How can we boost export by using Halal standards?

- Large companies have recognised their opportunity in exporting Halal products, and they are doing just fine. We think that it would be beneficial to assist small companies to position themselves on the Halal market

with the help of subsidies and incentives for implementation of this standard. However, these ‘dominant’ Halal markets are not our only chance. Russia is a huge Halal market, and our companies are already exporting to it. We should not underestimate the European Union either. Two thirds of the people who buy Halal products in the EU are non-Muslims. When asked the reason for buying Halal food, they said it was because the products were double-tested and were of good quality.

• Has Serbia recognised its opportunity in Halal tourism?

- No, it still hasn’t. Serbia has huge natural resources and attractions that we, unfortunately, don’t know how to use properly. Our spas and mountains are a huge resource that is very appealing to tourists from the countries where Halal is a way of life.

According to the statistics, Arabs have been frequent guests at spas in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. With good promotion, more available accommodation, and better service quality, our spas have a great chance. Also, mountains are very interesting especially to tourists from Turkey. However, there is still a lot to be done to match the price to accommodation quality, the quality of infrastructure and standardisation/categorisation of services. As the capital city and with all of its cultural heritage and wealth and a good geographical position, Belgrade has a great opportunity to engage more in conference tourism and provide tourist services to people who come here on business. ■

150 Years of Making Progress Safe The history of TMS connects the roots of industrial revolution, the tradition of German quality, the East European transition towards a modern economy and the contemporary economics of change

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ÜV SÜD, the biggest of German TÜV’s, was established 150 years ago with a mission of “making progress safe”. 2016 is a very special year also for us because TMS CEE marks 15 years of operations (which is deemed as a success in this part of the world).

Since its beginnings as TÜV Bayern Sava – Belgrade Branch, through TÜV SÜD Serbia d.o.o. to TMS CEE d.o.o., we have been continuing our mission of helping the domestic economy to increase its competitiveness and value on the global market through the implementation of standards. We believe that only through the application of knowledge and proper order we all can achieve better results.

TMS (Technical & Management Service) is a regional brand and a partner to TÜV SÜD, covering Central and Eastern Europe. It provides top quality services in a more efficient and flexible manner and in line with the TÜV SÜD standards.

Today, TMS has the presence in Russia (covering the territory of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia), Serbia (covering the

territory of Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska), and Ukraine.

TMS CEE is proud to carry the title of Cooperation Partner of TÜV SÜD and conducts most of its business through cooperating with this renowned German company, one of the biggest in the world.

Currently, we have over 1,400 active certificates, and we are market leaders in most of our business activities. Our results are almost solely attributed to the way we conduct our business through which we brought the German school of quality and have adapted it to the national economy.

We are a partner to some of the leading organisations in Serbia like: NIS, Electric Power Industry of Serbia, Delhaize, Bekament, SAGA, Messer, Metalac, LEONI, Medigroup, Peštan, Dijamant, Credit Agricole, Delta and many others. We are also a company that has conducted the first-ever certification of a local municipality in Serbia (the town of Šabac), the first one to carry out the BRC and GlobalGAP certification in Serbia but also has provided the ser-

vices like technical Due Diligence, the assessment of the lifespan of a power plant and the supervision of the construction of the Ada Bridge.

We are especially proud of our services in the corporate security and risk fields, where we have established cooperation with the leading experts in our country and the world in this rather sensitive but increasingly important segment.

Our clients can draw on over 300 years of our team’s cumulative experience. The main values of the TMS team are teamwork, a positive approach, winning spirit, top quality service and benevolence.

TMS has been accredited by the Accreditation Body of Serbia as a type ‘A’ control body, i.e., a certification body for management systems and products.

Through our TMS Academy, we transfer our know-how about quality, safety and other areas important for today’s businesses.

TMS has been successful since its inception and we are going to continue providing and developing innovative services in our field in the following period too.

15 years in Serbia - Welcome to TMS!

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VICTORIA CONSULTING LTD.

First-Hand Recommendations

Standards ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 14001: 2015, gained in September 2015, represent one of the biggest changes and placed new challenges in front of the organisation.

These changes should lead to realistic simplification and improvement of the management systems of organisations that apply these systems

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any organisations experience a dose of fear regarding the practical application of new amended and demanding standards. At the same time, already present on the market are “documentation packages” for new versions of standards, offering services to introduce the “turnkey” system. In practice this can create serious difficulties for organisations in

certainly the first consulting company in Serbia (December 2015), to successfully pass the procedure of re-certification of its own system of quality management and environmental protection in accordance with ISO 9001: 2015 / ISO 14001: 2015, and in that it is also engaged in

Victoria Consulting Ltd. is a company that is among the first in the world, and certainly the first consulting company in Serbia (December 2015), to successfully pass the procedure of re-certification of its own system of quality management and environmental protection in accordance with ISO 9001: 2015 / ISO 14001: 2015 the application of the system primarily through unnecessary additional bureaucracy and employees’ aversion to things they do not understand, which contradicts the basic idea of changes to standards and really good intentions to take a step forward, and not backwards.

Victoria Consulting Ltd. is a company that is among the first in the world, and

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providing advisory services in the field of management systems, environmental protection, social responsibility and the management of chemicals, and it also has insight into a large number of different organisations in Serbia.

Thanks to CorD Magazine, Victoria Consulting can relate some of its experiences and provide advice for organisa-

tions undergoing transition to new editions ISO 9001: 2015 / ISO 14001: 2015.

The opinion of Victoria Consulting Ltd., based on first-hand experience, is that the new revisions of both of these standards represent significant renewal and valuable assistance for those organisations that wish to apply them. Both standards, in the amended structure, especially through new requirements such as understanding the context of the organisation, internal and external issues, the needs and expectations of stakeholders, considerations based on risk, identifying risks and opportunities, life-cycle perspectives, provide a powerful tool and a good basis for establishing an even better system of management and achieving long-term, sustainable operations of specific organisations.

Complying with the new requirements provides an excellent basis for further improvement to the existing management system. Transferring to the new version of standards helped Victoria Consulting the most in terms of gaining an even better overview of internal and external issues and dealing with risks and opportunities.

In an organisational sense, this was carried out in a very practical way, without the use of complex methods and the like, and without additional complicating elements.

Issues relating to the perspective of the life cycle, for example, which is discussed a lot due to the changes to ISO 14001, did not constitute a novelty for Victoria Consulting, because the organisation previously dealt with that substantially. Indirect impacts on the environment (appropriate training and activities in terms of promotion and education in the area of the environment) were previously in the focus of top management. One good example is the project of launching the EMAS Portal for Serbia (www.emas.rs), which emerged as an initiative and concrete contribution of Victoria Consulting for further promotion of the Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) in Serbia, which has also been discussed beyond the borders of Serbia.

Here follows a few recommendations from Victoria Consulting for a successful route to transitioning to ISO 9001: 2015 / ISO 14001: 2015 and establishing a truly effective and efficient management system: - Secure support from top management through their most direct involvement in the process of introducing, in particular the new requirements of standard, conduct adequate training of staff - Obtain appropriate standards and study them in detail (SRPS ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015), while help can also be found in SRPS ISO 9000:2015, ISO 9004:2009, and particularly ISO 14004:2016 and ISO 9002. Organisations that wish to further investigate the topic of risk can consult standards ISO 31000 and ISO 31010, but prior to that they are advised to read the guidelines ISO TC 176 for clarification of the term “risk-based considerations”, in order to avoid complicating things unnecessarily.

- Review available documents and useful guidance on the appropriate websites of the ISO organisation, APG and the technical committees TC 176 and TC 207.

- Conduct detailed GAP analysis regarding the differences between the existing and desired state, and make a detailed plan in accordance with that.

- In the case that an organisation decides to hire a consultant, it is recommended that they use the guidelines for the selection of consultants given in ISO 10019 and they seek appropriate CVs of individual consultants. It is also recommended to consider the option of hiring a consultant only when needed, which means that a consultant is called only when his services are re-

- For organisations that have already established some management system, but which are dissatisfied with how it works, they should take advantage of transition to new versions of standards in a way that further improves the system.

- It is recommended that the selection of consultants and certification companies is performed independently. A good consultant will prepare an organisation for certification according to any credible certification body chosen by the organisation. Some “recommendations” are not always backed by the best interests of the organisation itself.

- Selection of a certification body should be such that the certificate issued to stakeholders is really of some credibility. An important factor in selecting the certification body is that proper

One good example is the project of launching the EMAS Portal for Serbia (www.emas.rs), which emerged as an initiative and concrete contribution of Victoria Consulting for further promotion of the Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) in Serbia, which has also been discussed beyond the borders of Serbia ally needed, in terms of additional clarifications and interpretations of standards required in relation to the specific organisation, the implementation of appropriate training and the like.

- Things that are very important to understand include: the context of the organisation, requirements in terms of understanding the needs and expectations of stakeholders, requirements relating to risks and opportunities, and life-cycle perspective.

- If the organisation wants to have a documented system, and not a system of documents and additional bureaucracy – it should in no way accept universal “bundles of documents” and the system of “turnkey” consulting services. The consultant should only represent support and assistance in finding solutions tailored to the organisation.

accreditation should be based on the real expertise of appropriate external auditors who would be engaged (in terms of specific qualifications and overall real work experience and the compatibility of competencies with the corresponding organisation).

- A specific recommendation for all organisations which require that their external suppliers have an established and certified management system is to leave room when contracting for the possibility of the use of specific management systems to actually be checked on the spot, when engaging employees from the organisation of the contracting authority or when engaging some independent organisation (this could be a certification or a consultancy company), on behalf of the client. ■

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EUROPEAN STANDARDISATION

A Key Instrument for the Single Market Standards are documents that set out specifications and other technical information with regard to various kinds of products, materials, services and processes

rest of the world. This is a valuable tool for strengthening the competitiveness of European companies, thereby creating conditions for economic growth.

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tandards provide a basis for mutual understanding among individuals, businesses, public authorities and other kinds of organisations; they facilitate communication, commerce, measurement and manufacturing.

European Standards bring benefits to businesses and consumers in terms of reducing costs, enhancing performance and improving safety. They also help to

ONE EUROPEAN STANDARD REPLACES 33 NATIONAL STANDARDS The Members of CEN are the National Standardisation Bodies of 33 European countries – including all the member states of the European Union (EU) and other countries that are part of the European Single Market.

CEN works with its Members to develop and define European Standards in response to specific needs that have been identified by businesses and other users of standards.

European standards are developed by teams of experts who have particular knowledge of the specific sector or topic that is being addressed. The members of Technical Committees, as well as sub-committees and working groups, are nominated by the national standardisation organisations ensure the compatibility of different components, products and services.

European Standards can be used to enhance safety and performance, improve energy efficiency, and protect consumers, workers and the environment. They complement European and national policies, and make it easier for businesses and other actors to respect relevant legislation.

European Standardisation is a key instrument for consolidating the Single Market and facilitating cross-border trade – within Europe and also with the

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European standards are developed by teams of experts who have particular knowledge of the specific sector or topic that is being addressed. The members of Technical Committees, as well as sub-committees and working groups, are nominated by the national standardisation organisations.

Each National Standardisation Body that is part of the CEN system is obliged to adopt each European Standard as a national standard and make it available to customers in their country. They also have to withdraw any existing national

standard that conflicts with the new European Standard. Therefore, one European Standard (EN) becomes the national standard in all 33 countries covered by CEN Members.

Moreover, many European Standards are also adopted as identical national standards by CEN Affiliates, which are the National Standards Bodies of 17 neighbouring countries, and by National Standardisation Bodies in other countries around the world.

EUROPEAN STANDARDS ARE VOLUNTARY The European Standards published

by CEN are developed by experts, established by consensus and adopted by the Members of CEN. It is important to note that the use of standards is voluntary, thus there is no legal obligation to apply them.

A TOOL TO COMPLY WITH EUROPEAN LEGISLATION Around 30 per cent of the European Standards published by CEN have been developed in response to specific requests (standardisation mandates) issued by the European Commission.

Many of these standards are known as 'harmonised standards'. They enable businesses to ensure that their products or services comply with essential requirements that have been set out in European legislation (EU Directives). In such cases, we can say that the standard provides 'presumption of conformity' with the essential requirements of the relevant legislation. ■