Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698836999866.pdf (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
Quality Standards and Quality Requirements Fulgence St. Prix, Technical Officer - Standards CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) Presentation Outline Brief History of CROSQ Strategic Plan Projects RQI  What is Quality Infrastructure (QI)  Benefits of Regional QI  Harmonisation of QI  Practical Application of QI 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 2 Establishment of CROSQ Created by the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) via Inter-Governmental Agreement Signed Belize City – 4 February 2002 Inaugural (first) Council Meeting – St Vincent and the Grenadines – 10-12 April, 2002 Headquarters Agreement (Secretariat to be located in Barbados): signed in Bridgetown -18 January 2007 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 3 Belize Jamaica Haiti 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality Antigua & Barbuda Montserrat St. Kitts & Nevis Dominica St. Lucia Barbados St. Vincent & the Grenadines Grenada Trinidad & Tobago Guyana 4 Suriname CROSQ MISSION • “The promotion and development of standards and standards-related activities to facilitate international competitiveness and sustainable production of goods and services within the CARICOM Single Market Economy for the enhancement of social and economic development” 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 5 CROSQ VISION • “The premier CARICOM organisation for the development and promotion of an Internationally Recognised
 Regional Quality Infrastructure” 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 6 Development Road Map 1975 - 2002 The Caribbean Common Market Standards Council 2002 - 2003 Agreement Establishing CROSQ signed by Governments 2003 - 2006 CROSQ Secretariat in place; Regional Quality Infrastructure (RQI) being established 2006 - ongoing International Recognition of the RQI (MSTQ) 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 7 3 Year Strategic Plan STRATEGIC INTENT FROM STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT TO REGIONAL QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE Approved by COTED / CARICOM 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 8 CROSQ 2009-2012 – STRATEGY MAP Extra Regional Dynamics Rapidly Liberalizing Trade & Investment Environment CHALLENGES • Regional Competitiveness • CSME Growth • Quality Matters Most !
n w o d w o l S l a b o G l Increasingly Educated and Sophisticated Populace Intra Regional Dynamics 7/11/2018 CROSQ Mission The promotion and development of standards and standards-related activities to facilitate international competitiveness and sustainable production of goods and services within the CSME for the enhancement of social and economic development.

Strategic Themes Harmonization of Standards Metrology Capability Conformity Assessment Capability Performance Strategic Objectives 1.
Develop relevant regional standards 2.

Maximise usage of regional standards 1.

Enhance regional metrology capacity in all areas (scientific, legal, industrial) 2.

Harmonise metrology legislation & regulation 1.

Build conformity assessment in quality infrastructure 2.

Harmonize certification services Accreditation Cooperation 1.

Coordinate regional accreditation services 2.

Develop Caribbean Cooperation Accrediton Mech.

Regional Quality Culture 1.


Improve Member State outreach as well as awareness and participation 2.

Attract new Members Financial Self - Sustainability Organisational Efficiency 1.

Enhance viable and relevant service base (training and consultancies) Increase revenue earning opportunities 2.

1.

Evolve Quality Management System 2.

Align HR Development to Strategy 3.
Modernise regional knowledge infrastructure 9 Feedback CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality Projects IDB / CROSQ / PTB: “Harmonized Regional Quality Infrastructure for Improving Market Access and Competitiveness” RQI-1 Project (to 2011) (USD 2M) BMZ / PTB / CROSQ: Strengthening of the basic metrological infrastructure in the Caribbean to improve participation in global trade RQI-2 Project (2008-11) (€ 1 Million) BMZ / PTB / CROSQ: Development of a demand- oriented & regionally harmonized Quality Infrastructure (QI) in the Caribbean RQI-3 (2009-12), (€ 1 Million) 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 10 Projects CDB Caribbean Building Standards Project (USD2M) EC-CARIFORUM 10th EDF Project for CROSQ Support to the EPA imp –(Euros 7.9 million)  CDB CART Fund Strengthening the Testing Laboratory Services Capabilities to Reduce Technical Barriers to Trade in the Caribbean Region (USD 0.7M) 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 11 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 12 What is Quality Infrastructure?
QI is a network of measurement systems (metrology), standards, technical regulations, and certification laboratories, testing A reliable quality accreditation bodies.

infrastructure has always played a key role in the question of what and how much we are getting for our money and is a prequisite for successful participation in the global economy.
7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 13 Building Blocks for RQI Quality Infrastructure 7/11/2018 CROSQ Processes and Support Systems Member States National Infrastructure CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 14 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 15 Role of QI in the Value Chain Tourism NATIONAL QI SYSTEM Services Agri.
/ Industry 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality M E T S Y S I Q L A N O I T A N R E T N I 16 Benefits of Regional QI • International recognition of the conformity assessment mechanisms of the region; • Improved competitiveness, access, environmental and consumer protection by applying internationally recognised assessment practices and overcoming technical barriers to trade; market • Improvements in the number and traceability of the measurement of basic physical quantities in the area of metrology; 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 17 • Facilitates the accreditation of laboratories important to critical economic sectors; the so-called value chain.
Accreditation will help to strengthen the technical capabilities of the laboratories in the region; • Facilitates the harmonization of regional practices with international norms, via the application of the regional development models for standards, metrology, and international accreditation, recognition.
achieve order to in 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 18 The Economic Impact of QI Standards and Food Safety related Market Requirements become more stringent AFLATOXINS • Found in African cereals, dried fruits and nuts - causes liver cancer • Treated as carcinogenic food contaminants • EU regulation based on the objective to reduce health risks by about 1.4 deaths per billion annually • impact of this regulation would cut African exports of nuts, cereals, and dried fruits products by 64% or US$ 670 mn., compared with their level under international standards Source: Otsuki, Sewadeh & Wilson, “A Race to the Top?
A case study of Food Safety Standards & African exports” , The World Bank, 26 Feb 2001 *www.wto.org, www.iso.org Processing : Extract for MSTQ Involvement From Cooking To Weighing Processing Chain MSTQ Involvement 1.

Raw shrimp - Sizing - Sulfite / antibiotic residue - Any defects, contaminants 2.

Washing 3.

Draining / weighing 4.

Washing 5.

Keeping in cold water 6.

Deheading / Peeling / Deveined / Washing - Check temperature (shrimps, washing water) 7.
Soaking with dry ingredients - Check temperature (shrimps) 8.

Sizing - Check size 9.

Arranging - Check temperature (shrimps) M S S S S S S M M M M 10.

Cooking - Check boiling temperature, time, physical properties M T T T T T 11.

Cooling / Separating defects / Trimming - Check temperature of cooling tank, shrimps 12.

Freezing (N2 – Freezer) 13.


Weighing / Glazing M TS M Q 7/11/2018 - Check weight, temperature - Check product size after freezing CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality M S T 20 Processing : - Extract MSTQ for Cooking Process Processing Chain MSTQ Involvement 10.
Cooking Check boiling temperature, time, physical properties, defects, contamination M T S Q Metrology Calibration of thermometer, timer, using RM Testing Sensory test, physical test, microbiological test, contamination Standards CROSQ, Codex, ISO Quality Management GMP, HACCP, ISO 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 21 Standards Development Process Start Preliminary Stage 00 Proposal Stage 10 1.5 months Preparatory Committee Stage 20 4 months Stage 30 9 months Enquiry Stage 40 5 months Approval Stage 50 3 months Publication Stage 60 2 months Review Stage 90 Start Total Time = 24.5 months 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 22 • Technical regulation: Document which lays down product characteristics or their related processes and production methods, including the applicable administrative provisions, with which compliance is mandatory.
7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 23 • Standard: Document approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for products or related processes and production methods, with which compliance is not mandatory.
7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 24 • Conformity assessment procedures: • Any procedure used, directly or indirectly, to determine that relevant requirements in technical regulations or standards are fulfilled • sampling, testing and inspection; evaluation, verification and assurance of conformity; registration, accreditation and approval 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 25 • Code of Good Practice for Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards.
• Standards prepared do not create unnecessary • obstacles to international trade.

International standards are used as a basis for standards development.

• Member States play an active role in the preparation of international standards with a view to harmonizing standards.

7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 26 • Duplication or overlap with the work of other standardizing bodies is avoided.
• Standards should specify product requirements in terms of performance, rather than design or descriptive characteristics.
• At least once every six months, standardizing bodies must publish their work programmes relating to development of standard 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 27 Labelling of Prepackaged Foods Specification for Packaged Water Labelling of Aerosol Insecticides Specification for Spices and Sauces Specification for Packaged natural coconut water Specification for Fruit and Vegetable Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars Specification for Poultry Feeds and Feed ingredients Code of Practice - for the Preparation of Frozen Fruit Pulps and Purées Specification for Cassava Bread Code of Practice for Food Hygiene Code of Practice for the Manufacture of Wooden Craft Items Standard Specification for Grades of Fresh Agricultural Produce (10 parts) Code of Practice for Packaged Water Standard Specification for Gold Articles Code of Practice for Packaged natural Coconut Water Requirements for Good Management Practices for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 28 Code of Practice for Inbound Tour Operators Specification for Botanical Cosmetics Code of Practice for Tour Guides Specification for Vehicle Rentals Specification for Vehicle Rentals Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products Specification for Tourist Accommodation Specification for Garbage bags Specification for Indigenous furniture - bamboo, rattan, wicker, tibisiri and nibbi Specification for Wooden Furniture Specification for Amcha Kuchela Specification for brewery
 products (AMD) Safety matches – specification Specification for Rum (REV) CARICOM Specification for Grading and Quality Requirements for Table Eggs 7/11/2018 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 29 Conclusions • Harmonisation process for regional standards is continuously improved • Regional mechanisms for cooperation for Metrology and Accreditation developed approved by CARICOM / COTED in Jun 2010 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 30 • Regional mechanisms for cooperation for Conformity Assessment needs to be developed.
• Involvement of public and private sector stakeholders is critical to improving QI • Quality consciousness / awareness in the region is very low at all levels 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 31 Current and Future Needs • Need to prepare private & public sector to: – understand and appreciate the benefits of conformity assessment and quality assurance – use / absorb the service / capacity being built – Appropriate legislation – Strong market surveillance for consumer protection e.g.
labeling, testing quality – Awareness campaigns for industry, consumers 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 32 Thank You… 7/11/2018 CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality 33