Manufacturers Will Improve Product and Service Quality with the Support of the EU-funded QUIS Project

With the support of the European Union and the German government, the German Cooperation (GIZ) and the Czech Development Agency (CzDA) have started implementing a new project, QUIS—Better Goods and Services.

The Association Agreement signed between Georgia and the European Union in 2014 includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement, which creates favourable conditions for Georgian businesses to increase exports and opens the path to the EU market. With the enactment of the DCFTA, goods and services produced in Georgia, if certain conditions are met, will have access to the world's largest market, encompassing 27 countries and over 500 million consumers. In this process, ensuring access to quality infrastructure (standardisation, accreditation, and metrology) is crucial, aiming to encourage broad sectoral and economic advancement and facilitate the entry of Georgian products and services into the European market. Therefore, the project's goal is to support the private sector in ensuring the implementation of European standards and improving the competitiveness of companies by providing access to laboratory and certification services that comply with European standards.

Specifically, the project will promote the implementation of European standards in accredited laboratories and certified bodies and assist the private sector in using these actors' services in the production process.

The project will work with industrial sectors, as well as local manufacturers in the furniture, toy industries, etc. The main objectives of the initiative are:

• Improvement of Product Quality: Enhancing the quality of Georgia's domestic and export products.
• Improvement of Service Quality: Implementing and developing quality standards in service and production processes.
• Consumer Awareness: Raising awareness about quality products and services.
• Support for Innovation and Technology: Introducing innovative approaches and modern technologies in quality management processes through private and public sector cooperation.

Improvement of quality infrastructure proportionally reflects on the sustainability of the country's economy. High-quality, safe products and services will increase consumer trust and demand in the market.

“The European Union has been actively assisting Georgia in improving quality infrastructure for many years, aiming to enhance the country's economic sustainability and competitiveness. The QUIS project is one of the latest initiatives funded by the EU, which will strengthen quality infrastructure in order to support the development, innovation, and competitiveness of local businesses in Georgia. This will help Georgian consumers access the same high-quality goods and services as their EU counterparts,” said Nicholas Cendrowicz, the Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.

Within the project framework, thematic training and seminars, technical assistance, activation of private-public dialogue, development of support programs for small and medium-sized enterprises, introduction of standards and best practices in quality management systems, and the promotion of the development of conformity assessment bodies are planned. The total budget of the project is € 12 025 000. The project is scheduled to continue its efforts for three years until January 2027.

The project will work with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the Georgian National Agency for Standards and Metrology, the Georgian Accreditation Center, the Market Surveillance Agency, Enterprise Georgia, and the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency.