The Macedonian Standardization Institute has earned the right to give guidelines for improvement in the process of preparing Macedonian or European standards, instead of only adopting them. This benefit has been granted by becoming a full-fledged member of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) at recent sessions of the general assemblies of these organizations, Vice PM for Economic Affairs, Vladimir Pesevski and the director of the Standardization Institute Ljupco Davcev told a press conference on Friday.

The Standardization Institute, having the most important role in improving Macedonian products with the international quality mark "Macedonian Sunshine", has been admitted to the European committees as a full-fledged member under the constitutional name.

The institution in an attempt to obtain a membership status has adopted 97% of Europe's standards and 98% of the European harmonized standards requiring C marking, according to its director Davcev.

"It's an advantage for the industry since the institute will have an equal vote given the fact that thus far we were only able to adopt standards. In the process of preparing standards, Macedonian or European, our industry will have the right to provide certain guidelines and improvements for a standard," he noted.

The Standardization Institution is planning to increase the presence of standards and to raise public awareness on their benefits.

Standards play a significant role on the European market. They boost quality, safety and the health of citizens, obstacles in trade are avoided and innovation is stimulated.

Vice PM Pesevski said the government given its jurisdiction had an understanding for the needs to strengthen the Standardization Institute and provided full support for the development of the body in which Macedonian national standards were being prepared and adopted.