Introduction

International Community and European Union recognize standardization as the precondition for joining international and European integration flows and the basis for eliminating technical barriers to trade i.e. providing goods and services free flow as well. It is appreciable international trend that great number of economies and societies is increasingly regulated at the level of standards, and that only in the crucial areas necessary for free functioning of the society it is practical adopting the regulations obligatory for the application. Even in that case, the regulations are adopted on the basis of the standards due to the standards present the consensus of all interested parties. Using a functional standardization system, it is achieved improving of life protection, health and safety of human, animals, plants and environment, upgrading quality of the products, processes and services, fortifying its purposes, unification, compatibility and replaceability, development and production and goods traffic upgrading i.e. services providing; as well as international cooperation improving through preventing or eliminating unwelcome technical barriers to trade.

Standardization system at national level is achieved following the cooperation of the State, economy and other interested parties through National Standardization Body being independent and neutral organization upon the recommendations of EU, but under special notice of the State. Special notice principally refers to the obligation of the State to provide the conditions for National Standardization Body functioning and operating for the purpose of achieving general community interests protection.

The demand concerned with establishing and continuous enforcement of standardization system in Montenegro is defined through the following political documents and decisions, being of vital importance for the current integration processes:

- World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO/TBT), including Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of the Standards detailed in Annex 3,
- Montenegrin national strategy for joining European Union, determining Montenegrin long-term politics toward EU,
- Stabilization and Association Agreement with European Union (SSP), specifying in Article 77 the obligation of Montenegrin standardization system enforcement,
- National program for integrations into European Union (NPI), defining in item 3.1.1.1 short-term and mid-term priorities for standardization development in Montenegro,
- Central-European Agreement on free trade (CEFTA), specifying in Article 13 the obligation of Montenegrin standardization system enforcement,
- European organizations for standardization conditions that should be fulfilled by National Standardization Body for the purpose of achieving full member status in these organizations (nine conditions for CEN/CENELEC).

For the purpose of fulfilling the obligations that Montenegro assumed as per the mentioned documents, and for the purpose of fast as can integrations into international and European flows, National Standardization Body, as the standardization operations carrier, is liable to design, organize and realize as fast as can harmonization of Montenegrin standards and related documents with international and European standards and related documents.

For the purpose of standardization aims achieving, fulfilling the requests of International Community and European Union as regards standardization and implementing the activities for adopting Montenegrin standards, Government of Montenegro in its session held on March 29, 2007, passed the Decree on Establishing the Institute for Standardization of Montenegro (“Official Gazette of RM”, N. 21/2007) as National Standardization Body.

Following its mission, vision, strategy and general aims, the Institute for Standardization of Montenegro became Correspondent member of International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Affiliate member of European Committee for Standardization (CEN), Associate member of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Affiliate member of European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC).

Having in mind the primary activity of the Institute for Standardization of Montenegro is Montenegrin standards development in accordance with the recommendations and requests of International and European organizations for standardization, I take the chance to invite all interested parties to contribute to development of standardization system in Montenegro and therefore speed up the development of national general economy and society through applying for the membership in the Institute and participating into the Institute’s Technical Bodies operating.
                                                                                                                       Director
                                                                                                                       Miodrag Perović, M.Sc.