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Regional cooperation in proficiency testing: strategy planning and practical experiences in Western Balkan countries

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Abstract

The article describes the project of regional cooperation in proficiency testing within CARDS 2006 (assistance programme to the Western Balkans), which was coordinated by European Committee for Standardization, European Commission and European Free Trade Association and conducted by the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Laboratory of Metrology and Quality. The later is the holder of the national standard for thermodynamic temperature as well as an accredited proficiency testing provider and also accredited as a calibration, testing and inspection laboratory. It is also responsible for graduate study programme Quality Engineering. Proficiency testing was considered as a core activity of the entire project, but additionally as a very appropriate platform for knowledge transfer of EU technical legislation in selected sectors, metrology, testing and quality assurance in general. The project had a high added value for participating laboratories in countries of Western Balkans, because it required an active role of all participating laboratories, assured participation of staff from national metrology institutions, all national accreditation bodies, and was supported by national quality infrastructures, such as standardization, governmental institutions etc. in the entire Western Balkans region. The activities stimulated progress in the area of conformity assessment, added knowledge to the implementation of technical directives and development of the technical part of national legislation and therefore facilitated the process toward the accession to the European Union. The main objective was therefore to organize proficiency testing in those sectors (construction, consumer protection and environment) that were vital in the pre-accession process of countries seeking full implementation of EU technical legislation.

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Acknowledgments

The project was funded by the European Commission as part of its regional and horizontal programme in support of the development of the economies of the Western Balkans. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) also contributed its expertise and finances to the project. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN), as implementing body, has enabled the European Commission to fulfil its strategic commitments in the sectors of quality infrastructure in candidate and accession countries for more than 15 years and this continues with further support in the IPA Regional programme for the Western Balkans and Turkey. The UL-FE-LMK project team expresses its gratitude to the project team leader Mr. David Norris. We also express our gratitude to PT experts from Civil Engineering Institute of Slovenia (ZAG), companies Iskraemeco and Petrol, Metrology Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (MIRS), to pilot laboratories from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and all other participating laboratories for their professional cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Metrology and Quality, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Trzaska 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Janko Drnovšek, Igor Pušnik, Jovan Bojkovski & Gaber Begeš

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  1. Janko Drnovšek
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  2. Igor Pušnik
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  3. Jovan Bojkovski
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  4. Gaber Begeš
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Correspondence to Janko Drnovšek.

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Drnovšek, J., Pušnik, I., Bojkovski, J. et al. Regional cooperation in proficiency testing: strategy planning and practical experiences in Western Balkan countries. Accred Qual Assur 15, 125–131 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-009-0569-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-009-0569-9

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