EU, Jordan launch twinning project to facilitate trade in priority sectors

AMMAN —The EU and the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM) on Wednesday launched the twinning project between JISM and its EU equivalent institutions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The EU-funded, 18-month project aims to prepare Jordan to negotiate mutual recognition of the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA), which will facilitate trade in the priority sectors.

Under the ACAA, Jordanian producers will freely export their products to the EU without further procedures or delay, in addition to the EU's acceptance of conformity certificates issued by Jordan's competent authorities, which will help increase competitiveness of Jordanian products at the national, European and international levels.

The twinning project, dubbed "Supporting Preparation for the Negotiation of the ACAA", is being implemented by a German, Austrian and Swedish consortium under the supervision of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the EU Commission in Jordan.

During the launch ceremony, Minister of Industry and Trade Yarub Qudah, said that Jordan and the EU intend to launch a comprehensive free-trade zone aimed at allowing gradual economic integration in the European market.

He added such a free trade zone is an attempt to improve the conditions of access to EU markets, stressing that the ACAA is a vital basis to enforce Jordanian laws in accordance with EU legislations to facilitate the swift movement of goods.

For his part, EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana, said the EU was delighted at the long-term cooperation with JISM.

"The project contributes to facilitating bilateral trade by ensuring that Jordanian products meet the EU's expectations of quality, and thus become more attractive," he stated. 

The project's services include offering advice to harmonise legislations, standards specifications, and testing laboratories at JISM with EU regulations.

Training, seminars, workshops and field studies will be provided to assist the JISM in meeting requirements of the ACAA and to develop its inspection and market survey activities, according to Petra.

The twinning project will focus on the fields of product safety, conformity assessment, market survey and accreditation and aims to support JISM to prepare for the ACAA in selected priority products, such as toys, electrical and gas products.