PROJECT TITLE:

Support to the Free Movement of Goods - Kosovo - II

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:

To support the Government of Kosovo to further develop its institutional capacity to create the basis for a sustainable environment for private sector development in line with the EU acquis and the SAA requirements.

LOCATION:

Kosovo

SECTOR:

Economic Development

BENEFICIARIES / MAIN TARGET GROUPS:

MTI and its departments, the Market Inspectorate, and the three Quality Infrastructure institutions (AKS, DAK and KMA) will be the Beneficiaries of the FMG project: -Industry Department (ID) of MTI -Quality Infrastructure Division (QID) of Industry Department -Consumer Protection Department (CPD) of MTI -Kosovo Standardization Agency (AKS) -Kosovo Accreditation Directorate (DAK) -Kosovo Metrology Agency (KMA) -Market Inspectorate (MI) -Legal Department of MTI -Department of EU Integration and Policy Coordination of MTI -Other ministries are also targeted, in particular the Ministry of European Integration as well as the line ministries involved in the enforcement of legislation, primarily the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP). The three QI institutions will be in charge of coordinating and managing the Project from the Beneficiary side.

DURATION:

23/January/2018 - 22/May/2021

VALUE:

3.265.580,00 EUR

PURPOSE:

To develop Quality Infrastructure, Market Surveillance and Consumer Rights in order to improve production processes and increase quality and safety of products and services made available on the domestic market, as well as integration of Kosovo in the EU market with the elimination of unjustified technical barriers to trade and strengthening its position on the external markets.

RESULTS:

Result 1: Technical Rules and Conformity Assessment Kosovo legislation on safety and compliance of products is further aligned and the administrative capacities of MTI and other line ministries are strengthened and better coordinated to improve implementation of the legislation. Result 2: Standardization Kosovo legislation in the field of standardization is further aligned and institutional and administrative capabilities of the Kosovo Standardization Agency (AKS) are strengthened in order to better support the effective implementation of technical regulations and improve the conformity of products with legal requirements. Result 3: Accreditation Kosovo legislation in the field of accreditation is further aligned and institutional and administrative capabilities of the Kosovo General Accreditation Directorate (DAK) are strengthened in order to better support the effective implementation of technical regulations and improve the conformity of products with legal requirements. Result 4: Metrology Kosovo legislation in the field of metrology is further aligned and institutional and administrative capacities of the Kosovo Metrology Agency (KMA) are strengthened in order to have a well-functioning metrological infrastructure, which can support the proper implementation of technical regulations and improve the conformity of products with legal requirements. Result 5: Market Surveillance Kosovo legislation in the field of market surveillance is further aligned and market surveillance institutional and administrative capacities are strengthened and well-coordinated to better enforce technical regulations and rules on Consumer Protection and improve the conformity of products with legal requirements. Result 6: Consumer Protection Kosovo legislation in the field of Consumer Protection is further aligned and institutional and administrative capacities of the Consumer Protection Department of the Ministry of Trade and Industry are strengthened to improve implementation of legislation and enable increased involvement of the civil society in consumer protection and consumer rights. Result 7: Awareness Raising: Increased awareness of businesses and the public (end consumers) on the role and importance of the Quality Infrastructure, which means on the impact of mandatory rules in technical requirements and conformity assessment (with reference to standardization, accreditation and metrology) as well as on the impact of the rules on consumer protection regarding their obligations and rights.