CROATIA LAGS BEHING EUROPEAN AVERAGE IN QUALITY CERTIFICATES

ZAGREB, Nov 9 (Hina) - Croatia significantly lags behind the European average, as well as the average in neighbouring countries, according to the number of economic subjects with a quality certificate. #L# Croatia is ahead of only Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Turkey according to the number of ISO 9000 overall quality certificates, and before only Romania and Bulgaria when it comes to ISO 14000 environmental management certificates. According to International Organisation for Standardisation data for 2001, with 27 ISO 9000 certificates per one million inhabitants Croatia is behind Slovenia, which has been granted 521 such certificates, Austria with 406, Italy with 314, Romania with 251, Hungary with 166, and the Czech Republic with 141. As for the ISO 14000, with one granted per one million inhabitants, Croatia is behind Austria, which has 17 such certificates, Slovenia with six, the Czech Republic with four, Hungary with three, and Italy with two. One of the problems in introducing quality standards in Croatia is the procedure and the cost of introducing them in small and medium- scale enterprises, which make up more than 90 percent of all businesses in the country. The procedure for getting the ISO certificate in Croatia takes a minimum nine months. There are nine certification firms in Croatia of which only two are authorised by the State Bureau of Standards and Metrology and those two have only Croatian licences. Interestingly, not one foreign certification company has the authorisation of the aforementioned Bureau. According to the National Council for Competitiveness, the closed domestic market of quality services is very detrimental for the expansion of quality standards in the country since it raises the price of services and prevents small and medium-sized businesses from obtaining the quality seal for their exports. (hina) ha