Since the beginning of March 2011, Haskovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry is realizing Market Control project, under agreement № B1.33.04 from 14.03.2011 for promoting the processes on standardization, certification and market control in the cross-border region of the countries, participating in INTERREG operational programme. The project is funded by “European territorial cooperation Greece-Bulgaria 2007-2013” Programme and is executed in partnership with Greek international business association and Greek standardization organization in Thessaloniki and with Chamber of Professionals and Handicrafts of Rhodopes, Greece.

The overall objective of the project MARKET CONTROL is to reduce the gap between the cross-border regions in the field of effective Market Control, fostering the cooperating countries on their way to European integration, as well as to improve the level of Market Control and preservation of the merchandised commodities and enterprises in the cross-border area.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• Study and assess the most important sectors of the cross-border area and their needs, regarding conformity marks, certification, standardisation etc.
  
• Developing of a Road map/Business plan for the establishment of a unified body for market control and product certification, aiming to preserve the adequate control of market and merchandised products in the area. It will also intend at the efficient and faster implementation of the EU orders and directives, regarding market control and supervision, starting from selected areas of the interregional markets with significant exporting activity. Finally, it will aim at the smooth transition of the involved bodies to the wider organisation of EU market control which is under construction according to the EU directive 057ΕΕ. Creation of labs in the cross-border region will be set out in the business plan.These laboratories will conduct tests of products with conformity marks or for obtaining one. The road map aim would be for establishment of a common conformity mark/quality mark, e.g. for dairy products in the Evros-Haskovo area.
  
• Creation and establishment of a permanent communication channel/network of cooperating bodies in the countries of the cross-border regions for exchange of know-how and good practices on standardization, conformity certification and monitoring of the market, contributing to the implementation of Specific subjective B of the programme “Increasing of the competitiveness through promotion of business cooperation schemes, establishment of cooperation networks and investment in human resources”.
  
There will be finalized sequence of key activities within 18 months:

• Research on the company needs with regard to certification, standardization and conformity marks, including needs categorization on economic sectors. The research will be based on data, provided by the companies.
  
• Elaboration of joint business plans (Road maps), which will examine the conditions on establishment of common certification body, standardization and market control in the cross-border region, for establishment of laboratories in the region and for establishment of conformity mark of chosen products in the cross-border region.
  
• Conduction of 2 conferences in Greece and Bulgaria;
  
• Organisation of 8 info days, 4 in each country;
  
• Development and maintenance of a website, which will be used as effective instrument for communication and spread of information and
  
• Conduction of modern media campaign.
  
  
  

It is expected that the project will increase the consumers’ capacity in the cross-border region, with regard to the preferences to products with high quality, will encourage the companies in active participation in discussions, related to the quality in cross-border region, and also will increase the interest of the included organizations through organizing of series of informational events.