24th Quality Week commenced
Current eventsQuality Week 2015, which traditionally gathers scientists, business community and renowned experts in the field of quality, is being held for the 24th time at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) in the period between 4th March and 6th March 2015. The Quality Week 2015 delegates will be updated on the latest world trends and requirements as regards the upgrade of management standards, risk management and application of modern tools to manage processes and upgrade business capacities.
Vladimir Trajković, President of the Fund for Quality Culture and Excellence (FQCE), gave the first opening address and announced that a large number of authors from the Republic of Serbia and guests from Zagreb, Sarajevo and Podgorica would give their presentations.
Prof. Zoran Punoševac PhD, President of the Association for Quality and Standardization of Serbia, announced that 12 quality associations from this part of Europe would sign a memorandum, whereas this will be confirmed at the 16th Opatija Quality Symposium to be held in March and organised by the Croatian Association of Quality Managers. Anita Zado Bešker from the Croatian Association of Quality Managers emphasised on this occasion that such conferences had to be held despite unfavourable economic situation as these enable us to learn from each other.
Milica Lukešević, Acting Director of the Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS), addressed the present delegates on behalf of ATS when she highlighted that she was honoured to take part in such a conference gathering the national quality infrastructure institutions to exchange ideas.
Miodrag Perović MSc, Director of the Institute for Standardization of Montenegro, stressed the importance of the regional cooperation and the Balkan Conference for Quality Infrastructure given that investment in science proved to be most beneficial.
This year the conference was opened again by Jelena Popović MSc, ME Assistant Minister, when she emphasised the importance of presenting new ideas and good practice, including the increase in the competitiveness of the Serbian economy as a task that brought us all together. Ms Popović explained that the Republic of Serbia transposed 80% of the EU pieces of legislation in this field (Chapter 1) into our legislation, while EU directives governing construction products, toys and medical devices remained to be transposed. More than 30 bodies in the Republic of Serbia were designated in line with the requirements of the New Approach Directives as these would become notified bodies and thus help Serbian economy increase its competitiveness level. Ms Popović deems that the Serbian quality infrastructure is challenged by the amendments to the Law on Standardization that would help the harmonisation thereof with the requirements of the EU Regulation No 1025. It is necessary for the Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) to adopt market-oriented approach in order to be less dependent on the public funds and in order to meet one of the prerequisites for CEN/CENELEC membership. Moreover, it will be necessary to resolve the issue relating to non-harmonised legislation as it creates barriers to trade and hence a detailed action plan is being produced to identify potential barriers to trade. Furthermore, this will be a task for all Serbian ministries. The 2015-2020 Strategy for the Improvement of the Serbian Quality Infrastructure is in the process of adoption by the Serbian Government following which action plans will be drafted. A special emphasis was on the fact that a barrier to trade related to certificates of conformity accompanying imported goods was the last level of protection against unsafe products. As the Serbian market surveillance system evolved in the meantime this obligation will no longer be valid for electrical and electronic equipment and lifts, while it will remain valid for telecommunications equipment and firework items.
Members of the Quality Week 2015 Board at the opening - Vladimir Trajković, Miloš Jelić PhD, Milan Ivanović MSc
Milica Lukešević, ATS Acting Director
Jelena Popović MSc, ME Assistant Minister
Quality Week 2015 delegates
For more information, please visit http://www.fqce.org.rs