Press Conference on the Benefits of Membership in International Standards Organizations with a Focus on Production Leap

A press conference held by the Electrical Industry Syndicate addressed the international credentials of the National Standards Organization of Iran this morning (Tuesday), with the attendance of officials and stakeholders from this organization, the National Standards Organization of Iran, and media representatives. This meeting was organized to highlight the recent achievements of the National Standards Organization in connecting with international bodies and creating advantages for the private sector and the development of exports.

Seyed Mohsen Mir-Sadri, Chairman of the New and Knowledge-Based Businesses Commission at the Iran Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the need for realizing a knowledge-based economy through the optimal use of legislative, institutional, regulatory, and financial tools. He stated that this would lead to a reduction in production costs, improved quality levels, increased complexity and technological depth of domestic products and services, and ultimately, commercialization and increased export volume. He added that achieving these goals is dependent on compliance assessments, standards, testing, and the issuance of quality certifications. This member of the Electrical Industry Syndicate highlighted that localizing the process of issuing compliance certificates paves the way for the implementation of the liability insurance project for knowledge-based products. He also stressed that possessing credible test reports and certificates recognized in target markets is essential for exports.

Ahmad Kamali, Director General of the Comparative Studies Office and Participation in the Development of International Standards at the National Standards Organization, emphasized the necessity of implementing Article 6 for strengthening and developing standards. He stated that, based on this, four missions have been defined for the National Standards Organization: standardization, compliance assessment, accreditation, and metrology. He added that, in the new period, planning for the organization's missions has been approached with a transformative perspective, with the most important action being membership or enhancement of membership in international standardization organizations.

Kamali mentioned that recent programs aimed at enhancing membership in international organizations have borne fruit, saying that technical barriers related to trade and the export of electronic components have been lifted. He noted that the National Standards Organization's membership in global bodies has provided many advantages and opportunities for the country, facilitating trade and boosting businesses.

Continuing, Mir-Sadri pointed out that, through the efforts of the National Standards Organization and the approach of enhancing international interactions, Iran has successfully become a member of the Asia-Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) in eight activity domains after 26 years. He stated that this achievement has opened pathways for connecting with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). Subsequently, achieving membership in ILAC has granted international recognition to Iranian test reports, inspection reports, and calibration reports, as these reports are considered valid worldwide, in line with ILAC's motto of "One Accreditation, Valid Everywhere."

The Chairman of the National Committee of Electricity and Electronics of Iran (INEC) added that attention to the regulatory requirements for entering target markets is essential. In many countries and geographical regions, adherence to compliance certification regulations and local brand markings is mandatory, such as the CE mark for entering the European Union market and the EAC mark for entering the Eurasian market. To facilitate this in sectors like electricity, electronics, oil and gas, medical equipment, and automotive, the IEC, with over a century of experience and membership from more than 170 countries, manages the operations of four compliance assessment systems—IECEE, IECRE, IECEx, and IECQ—globally, aiming to increase production, employment, sales, improve living standards, enhance welfare, create competition, and reduce prices.

The CEO of EPIL company stated that, thanks to the efforts of the esteemed President of the National Standards Organization of Iran, the country has fully joined the IECEE and IECEx compliance assessment systems. He described the IECEE compliance assessment system as comprising 53 member countries, covering 23 main classifications including batteries, electrical tools, wires and cables, lighting, electrical medical devices, home appliances, smart meters, IT equipment, office equipment, automotive electrical devices, switches, industrial automation, fuses, and building electrical equipment. He also characterized the IECEx compliance assessment system as encompassing equipment related to refineries, wood and paper industries, textiles, fueling stations, offshore drilling units, chemical processing plants, and renewable energy sources such as hydrogen and ammonia, with 36 member countries worldwide. Additionally, he described the IECQ and IECRE compliance assessment systems, which focus on quality management in the supply chain and quality control of component production, as well as carbon footprint management and hazardous material process management, with 11 and 16 members globally, respectively.

Kamali further stated that moving towards standards recognized by advanced countries will enhance the quality of services in the medical, automotive, and electronic sectors. This progress is a step towards strengthening Iranian consumers' confidence in domestic goods and will positively impact foreign trade exchanges. One of the objectives of the production leap is to increase exports for the country, and indeed, membership in international organizations will boost exports and provide domestic products with the capability to gain validation from international standardization bodies.

The Director General of the Comparative Studies Office and Participation in the Development of International Standards at the National Standards Organization emphasized that this membership will assure producers, traders, and merchants of the acceptance of their products and services in other countries, reduce costs and save time, prevent currency outflow from the country, achieve national self-sufficiency, reduce dependence on other countries, improve the business environment for domestic compliance assessment organizations, generate foreign exchange revenue, gain international credibility and status, and ensure the safety and security of domestically produced electrical goods. These are the benefits resulting from the services of the National Standards Organization in the thirteenth administration.

Continuing, Mir-Sadri noted that currently, Iran's membership in international standardization committees will lead to a reduction in production costs by improving product quality. Once the issuance of international certifications becomes feasible within the country, importers will themselves become producers, and with Iran's membership, the private sector will be able to obtain international standard approvals and certifications. He added, "We have spent twenty years developing standards to address technical issues and deficiencies. Fortunately, with the support of the esteemed government, in cooperation with the National Standards Organization and the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, this has become a reality. Now, standards like IECEx have been localized, resulting in reduced costs and increased competitiveness, ultimately leading to enhanced social welfare."

A board member of the Electrical Syndicate further added that considering the aforementioned benefits, it is essential to proceed with greater speed. Given the significant role of establishing renewable power plants in reducing electricity shortages, if the esteemed President of the National Standards Organization agrees, the implementation of the IECRE system for evaluating products and renewable power plants should also be prioritized.

According to Mir-Sadri, the Chamber of Commerce, the Electrical Industry Syndicate, and other leading organizations are ready to collaborate with the National Standards Organization to develop a roadmap for enhancing the country’s essential infrastructure to conduct tests that are currently unavailable in the country, and to address national barriers, thereby tackling deficiencies such as the lack of power and renewable testing laboratories.