EUROPEAN PROFILES S.A

TITLE OF PROJECT

Complementary measures to the sector policy support programme “Promoting Mutual Trade by Removing Technical Barriers to Trade between Ukraine and the European Union”

Country:

Ukraine

Project Period:

2011-2013

Project Value:

€ 4.852.000

No of Staff Provided:

3 Key Experts & Short-Term Experts

Origin of Funding:

EC ENPI

Name of Client/ Beneficiary:

Ministry of Economy of Ukraine

Description of Project:

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to economic reform and the gradual integration of Ukraine’s economy into the European Union's Internal Market.

The specific objective of the project is to implement policy measures to remove technical barriers to trade between the EU and Ukraine, including the modernisation of the institutional framework for quality assurance.

The project is designed to accompany the sector policy support programme program "Promoting mutual trade by removing technical barriers to trade between Ukraine and the EU" (hereinafter referred to as SPSP) by providing essentially complementary support assistance to the Ukrainian Government and institutions in reaching the performance indicators, building action plans for the target institutions (i.e. those involved in the implementation of SPSP), ensuring proper monitoring and visibility of the programme. Additionally further ad hoc institutional and capacity building support will be provided with a specific strategy and change management approach for ensuring in-depth and practical deployment of reforms.

Result 1: Legislative framework in the sphere of technical regulation is approximated to EU and WTO/TBT requirements, including but not limited to:

• Legislation on standardisation, metrology, conformity assessment (including enhanced requirements for accreditation in conformity with the new EU Regulation 765/2008, accreditation, product liability;
• Legislation on General Product Safety;
• Procedures for notification/designation of conformity assessment bodies;
• Consumer protection legislation is amended for abolishing provisions of possible barriers to trade;
• Technical regulations are harmonised with the EU New Approach Directives and enforced by the Ukrainian authorities;
• Old Soviet and GOST standards are reviewed and replaced through adoption of ISO and European Standards.

Result 2: New strategic management tools introduced in the Beneficiary institutions involved in the implementation of the SPSP program.

Result 3: Strengthened capacity of the Beneficiary and other institutions involved in the implementation of the program, to ensure the programme's effective implementation, management, reporting on and monitoring.

Result 4: Action plan for the reform of the Ukrainian quality infrastructure developed, taking into account the provisions of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers on priority measures in technical regulation No. 1070 of 19 May 2010, and cascaded to the institutions involved in the program.

Result 5: As a result of implementation of the above Action Plan - strengthened and free of conflicts of interests institutional infrastructure for quality assurance, including institutions for standardisation, market surveillance, metrology, conformity assessment and accreditation

Result 6: Budgeted plan for modernisation of the Ukrainian testing and metrology laboratories for the purposes of ACAA is developed and implemented.

Services Provided:

• Support to the enactment of the missing legislation on Market Surveillance, General Product Safety, product Liability and Metrology
• Assistance in the development of legislation and its implementation of regulations pertaining to the establishment of an independent National Standardisation Body
• Analysis of and development proposals for the legislation on conformity assessment on the basis of New Approach directives;
• Revision of the procedures for notification/designation of conformity assessment bodies;
• Assistance in harmonisation of the Ukrainian Consumer Protection legislation with that of the EU.
• Capacity building for the newly established institutions and/or those that will change their roles as a result of implementation of the programme.
• Advice to the EU Delegation on possible further EU-funded co-operation, including Twinning and TAIEX assistance to the recipient institutions.
• Implementation in the recipient institutions, and/or in their subordinate organisations, the relevant methodologies for change management, strategic planning, business-modelling and planning, considering the tasks of the Action Plan for reforming the quality infrastructure of Ukraine.
• Development of a system for monitoring of SPSP, with the use of a simple user-friendly software.
• Development of an integrated information system, which will be based on a web-portal and will show all components of the future reformed Ukrainian quality infrastructure.
• Assistance in the development of the detailed Action Plan/Road Map for reforming the Ukrainian institutional infrastructure for quality.
• Assistance to the recipient institutions to transpose the above action plans into budgeted work plans.
• Assistance to the National Standardisation Body for implementing EU NSO (National Standardisation Organisations) working methods in Ukraine organisations.
• Assistance in development of the plan for upgrading of facilities and equipment of the Ukrainian testing and metrological laboratories.
• Assessment of the implementation of the new Ukrainian Technical Regulations based on the EU Directives.
• Support for implementation of the Market Surveillance in the respective Ukrainian institutions/ authorities/ ministries.
• Practical assistance in development of the plan for national accreditation of the Ukrainian conformity assessment bodies, testing and calibration laboratories.
• Awareness raising campaign on market surveillance to ensure consumers to comprehend the role they play as end users.
• Awareness raising actions on the EU practices for technical regulation, conformity assessment and market surveillance for the industry;
• Road-show around Ukraine on the horizontal and vertical EU Directives, targeted specialized seminars on ACAA sectors.
• Design and dissemination of brochures targeting the Ukrainian industry and consumers for explaining the EU system of technical regulation, the action plans for Ukraine and information support to chambers of commerce and professional sector organisations.

Name of Partners: