““The Quality Infrastructure in Lebanon”The Quality Infrastructure in Lebanon”Export Norms, Quality Control and Export Norms, Quality Control and

CompetitivenessCompetitiveness FUTURE PROGRAMME FUTURE PROGRAMME

Prepared ByPrepared ByAli BerroAli Berro

Director of Quality ProgrammeDirector of Quality ProgrammeMinistry of Economy & TradeMinistry of Economy & Trade

Beirut-LebanonBeirut-Lebanon20052005

The Quality Infrastructure In The Quality Infrastructure In LebanonLebanon

StandardizationStandardization MetrologyMetrology Accreditation and TestingAccreditation and Testing Certification/ InspectionCertification/ Inspection Market SurveillanceMarket Surveillance

Laboratories Only two laboratories at the Industrial

Research Institute (Microbiology & Chemistry) are accredited by DAR,

Few other Lebanese laboratories are in the process of accreditation

The rest of Laboratories did not start The rest of Laboratories did not start the accreditation processthe accreditation process

Gaps in testing services Gaps in testing services

Accreditation and TestingAccreditation and Testing

Certification /InspectionCertification /Inspection

Foreign Certification (Inspection) entities Foreign Certification (Inspection) entities make use of their International make use of their International Accreditations status to certify Companies Accreditations status to certify Companies in Lebanonin Lebanon

Absence of a national system for Absence of a national system for qualifying and registering of Quality qualifying and registering of Quality Management System Auditors and Management System Auditors and Assessors,Assessors,

IRI is playing the role of a Certification IRI is playing the role of a Certification body.body.

Export Norms and Problems Export Norms and Problems Facing Lebanese ExportsFacing Lebanese Exports

Absence of harmonized Conformity Assessment Absence of harmonized Conformity Assessment legislations and procedures in Lebanonlegislations and procedures in Lebanon

Voluntary rules and Technical Regulations are Voluntary rules and Technical Regulations are increasingly used by developed countries, to increasingly used by developed countries, to discipline access to their markets,discipline access to their markets,

Difficulties in coping with the rapid and Difficulties in coping with the rapid and continuously changing international rules and continuously changing international rules and regulationsregulations

High cost of quality vs. price competitionHigh cost of quality vs. price competition Rejections and detentions of shipments:Rejections and detentions of shipments:

52% of rejections are due to labeling irregularities52% of rejections are due to labeling irregularities 33% due to unsafe additives33% due to unsafe additives 5% salmonella presence5% salmonella presence 10% other reasons 10% other reasons

THE QUALITY PROGRAMMETHE QUALITY PROGRAMME

E.U. grant :Total Budget 15 M€E.U. grant :Total Budget 15 M€ Beneficiary: MOETBeneficiary: MOET Duration: 38 monthsDuration: 38 months Main ItemsMain Items Technical Assistance for MOET 4.3 M€Technical Assistance for MOET 4.3 M€ Contracts with specialised member states Contracts with specialised member states

Institutions 3.0 M€ for institutional buildingInstitutions 3.0 M€ for institutional building Supply contracts (equipments) 6.0 M€Supply contracts (equipments) 6.0 M€ Training: 0.6 M€Training: 0.6 M€ Audits & Evaluation: 0.4 M€Audits & Evaluation: 0.4 M€ Contingencies: 0.7 M€Contingencies: 0.7 M€

PROGRAMME PROGRAMME COMPONENTSCOMPONENTS

Policy ComponentPolicy Component Institutional ComponentInstitutional Component Enterprise ComponentEnterprise Component

POLICY COMPONENTPOLICY COMPONENT

Assistance in developing a comprehensive Assistance in developing a comprehensive National Quality PolicyNational Quality Policy

Assistance in the completion and updating of Assistance in the completion and updating of regulatory and legislative framework in the field regulatory and legislative framework in the field of Standards, Accreditation, Metrology, of Standards, Accreditation, Metrology, Conformity Assessment and other related fields Conformity Assessment and other related fields such as Plant and Animal Quarantine, such as Plant and Animal Quarantine, Consumer Protection and Food Safety draft Consumer Protection and Food Safety draft laws laws

Establishing a legal database on conformity Establishing a legal database on conformity assessment legislations and important links to assessment legislations and important links to quality related institutions both in Lebanon and quality related institutions both in Lebanon and EU countries (completed) EU countries (completed)

INSTITUTIONAL COMPONENTINSTITUTIONAL COMPONENT

Support Institutional Building at MOET And other Support Institutional Building at MOET And other related Ministriesrelated Ministries

Support the establishment & operational Support the establishment & operational improvements of the following institutions:improvements of the following institutions:

Lebanese Accreditation Council (COLIBAC)Lebanese Accreditation Council (COLIBAC) Lebanese Standards Institution (LIBNOR)Lebanese Standards Institution (LIBNOR)

Support the testing & certification functions to Support the testing & certification functions to achieve international accreditation & recognition for achieve international accreditation & recognition for Lebanese laboratories in complementary testing Lebanese laboratories in complementary testing fieldsfields

Institutional Building at MOETInstitutional Building at MOET

A Quality Unit is established at MOET to A Quality Unit is established at MOET to manage the Quality Programme and to manage the Quality Programme and to continue in the future as a functional unit continue in the future as a functional unit (or Directorate) at MOET(or Directorate) at MOET

Establishment of a Quality Advisory Establishment of a Quality Advisory Committee representing key public and Committee representing key public and private sectors’ stakeholders in the Quality private sectors’ stakeholders in the Quality Chain to oversee and advise on Quality Chain to oversee and advise on Quality Policy & other quality issues Policy & other quality issues

Undertaking of research activities to Undertaking of research activities to survey the Quality Chain status in Lebanonsurvey the Quality Chain status in Lebanon

Institutional Building at MOET (2)Institutional Building at MOET (2)

Development of a relevant database on:Development of a relevant database on: Government policies & regulations in the field of quality Government policies & regulations in the field of quality

& monitoring actual market progress in terms of its & monitoring actual market progress in terms of its dissemination & implementationdissemination & implementation

Conformity Assessment procedures in export markets Conformity Assessment procedures in export markets (especially E.U. markets)(especially E.U. markets)

Other market entry conditionsOther market entry conditions Alert Notifications & rejection of shipmentsAlert Notifications & rejection of shipments

Creation of a high level of networking among Creation of a high level of networking among all stakeholders of the Quality Chainall stakeholders of the Quality Chain

Operational improvement of Market surveillance Operational improvement of Market surveillance functions such as the Consumer Protection functions such as the Consumer Protection Service, legal Metrology...etcService, legal Metrology...etc

Training of MOET staff for proper maintenance & Training of MOET staff for proper maintenance & effective use of such information systemseffective use of such information systems

institutional Building with institutional Building with International Assistance International Assistance

Institutional Building support in the field of Institutional Building support in the field of Standardization, Accreditation, Metrology and Standardization, Accreditation, Metrology and Conformity Assessment with the help of Conformity Assessment with the help of counterpart organisations in Europecounterpart organisations in Europe

Technical support in Testing and Certification Technical support in Testing and Certification (public & private) to obtain local & international (public & private) to obtain local & international Accreditation & to participate in proficiency Accreditation & to participate in proficiency testing schemes & inter-laboratory testing schemes & inter-laboratory comparisons to benchmark competency levelcomparisons to benchmark competency level

Possible twining arrangements with some Possible twining arrangements with some similar European institutions similar European institutions

Technical Assistance with Technical Assistance with EquipmentEquipment

thorough needs assessment for thorough needs assessment for equipment in key organisations supported equipment in key organisations supported by the programme in the field of by the programme in the field of Metrology, Calibration and TestingMetrology, Calibration and Testing

Purchase of equipments under a sound & Purchase of equipments under a sound & efficient EC-compliant procurement efficient EC-compliant procurement process to update and upgrade facilitiesprocess to update and upgrade facilities

Provide training on purchased equipmentsProvide training on purchased equipments

ENTERPRISE COMPONENTENTERPRISE COMPONENT

Improve Awareness of private sector towards quality Improve Awareness of private sector towards quality issuesissues

Provide information on international market entry Provide information on international market entry conditions, SPS measures and conformity assessment conditions, SPS measures and conformity assessment procedures ( a specialized Quality Help Desk)procedures ( a specialized Quality Help Desk)

Provide high-level calibration services to Lebanese Provide high-level calibration services to Lebanese laboratorieslaboratories

Support the establishment of a “Lebanese National Quality Support the establishment of a “Lebanese National Quality Centre” : to be hosted by the private sectorCentre” : to be hosted by the private sector

Provide training on quality related issues especially ISO Provide training on quality related issues especially ISO standardsstandards

Joint Study tours and missions Joint Study tours and missions

Collaboration with Collaboration with the Private Sectorthe Private Sector

The Quality Advisory Committee will The Quality Advisory Committee will have a major role in this programmehave a major role in this programme

Cooperation with the Federation of Cooperation with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Chambers of Commerce, Industry and AgricultureAgriculture

Cooperation with the Association of Cooperation with the Association of Lebanese IndustriesLebanese Industries

Major private sector laboratories are Major private sector laboratories are included in the schemeincluded in the scheme

The The END BENEFICIARYEND BENEFICIARY of the of the whole programme is the whole programme is the PRIVATE PRIVATE SECTORSECTOR