IPA 2009 Twinning Project
Implementation of the IPA 2009 Twinning Project “Support to the Market Surveillance Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Market Surveillance System”, with a budget estimated at 600,000€, commenced in October 2011. The overall objective of the Project was to further develop the capacity of the market surveillance system in Bosnia and Herzegovina in line with the provisions of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), while creating an enabling environment for enhanced consumer protection from the perspective of product safety. The Project was planned to run for 18 months, until April 2014.
The beneficiaries of the Project were Market Surveillance Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, market inspections and other inspections in the Inspectorates of the Federation of BiH, Republic of Srpska and Brčko District of BiH, as well as the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the domain of product safety border control. The consortium Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas (NI-CO) Ltd, which implemented this project, included two EU Member States - UK (senior partner) and Latvia (junior partner).
The expected results of the project were:
implementation of long-term strategic goals and establishment/application of standard operating procedures;
further improvement of cooperation between the Agency and the inspectorates of the entities of BiH and the Brčko District of BiH;
continued strengthening of the capacities of the Agency and the inspectorates of the BiH entities and Brčko District of BiH through training activities and study visits to the EU Member States;
implementation of national legislation transposing the New Approach Directives and other product-safety regulations;
strengthened mechanisms of coordination and cooperation with all institutions conducting, or expected to conduct, market surveillance activities in BiH, especially with the customs authorities;
increased awareness among consumers and economic operators about product safety through trainings, round tables, workshops, meetings, and printing brochures, newsletters, etc.;
implementation of targeted surveillance activities for specific product groups, so-called joint actions, with the Twinning partners, including laboratory testing of samples.
It is important to emphasize that all project activities were aimed at strengthening the market surveillance system as a whole, thereby ensuring that market surveillance in Bosnia and Herzegovina is functional, coordinated and efficient. A market surveillance system built on effective coordination and cooperation helps enhance consumer health and safety protection across Bosnia and Herzegovina.