MINSK, 27 February (BelTA) - Protection of the Union State market will become comprehensive, Chairperson of the Belarusian State Committee for Standardization (Gosstandart) Yelena Morgunova told the media prior to a joint meeting of the collegiums of Gosstandart and Russia’s Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart), BelTA has learned.
Yelena Morgunova emphasized that the joint meeting of Gosstandart and Rosstandart will be held for the first time. “A large delegation has arrived from Russia. Russia’s Federal Service for Accreditation Rosakkreditatsia will connect online. Today we are set to take stock of 2025 and will discuss joint plans for 2026 within the framework of the Union State,” she noted. "Yesterday, the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow and the leaders of Belarus and Russia signed a number of documents, including one on the establishment of the Committee for Standardization and Quality of the Union State.”
The main instrument of trade policy to protect the market and the interests of domestic producers is compliance with standards and quality, the state secretary emphasized. “First and foremost, strict compliance with technical regulations by importers. If we achieve this, then our producers, the output of our factories, will circulate on our market and we will be able to avoid unfair competition. If we can ensure the compliance with the standards and technical regulations, then, I think, it will be more lively and interesting to work on the market” Sergey Glazyev said.
Head of Rosstandart Anton Shalaev noted that the establishment of the Committee for Standardization and Quality of the Union State provides an opportunity to unify work on standards. “For us, this is an opportunity to promote the idea of the Union State product, which is not only created by our enterprises but must also be developed according to the highest joint requirements and ultimately be competitive both within the Union State space and, we hope, beyond it. And, of course, this is an opportunity for quality control that will prevent falsified, counterfeit, and simply non-compliant products from appearing on the territory of the Union State,” he emphasized.
According to Anton Shalaev, a very important new stage of interaction has begun. "The Committee is a collegial body established on a parity basis, consisting of representatives from Belarus' Gosstandart and its subordinate organizations, Rosstandart and its subordinate organizations, and the Permanent Committee of the Union State. The first task is to set up a Union State standards database. It is very important that we do not plan to develop some new type of standard. We must find the best that exists among the current standards of Belarus and Russia. Understand to what extent this could be of interest to business, enterprises, and industry in both countries, and thereby create a common database that will enable enterprises to directly use these standards,” he emphasized.“The second area can be designated as protecting the market from counterfeits and non-compliant, falsified products. Here, the task is to develop within the Union State the new regulations of the Union State, the implementation of which will help, at certain early stages, to seize and prevent non-compliant products from entering the market. Because it is always much more difficult to remove from the market what has already entered it.”
On the sidelines of the meeting, the parties are expected to sign Union State standardization plans for 2026-2030 in a number of economic sectors and cooperation agreements.
Yelena Morgunova emphasized that the joint meeting of Gosstandart and Rosstandart will be held for the first time. “A large delegation has arrived from Russia. Russia’s Federal Service for Accreditation Rosakkreditatsia will connect online. Today we are set to take stock of 2025 and will discuss joint plans for 2026 within the framework of the Union State,” she noted. "Yesterday, the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow and the leaders of Belarus and Russia signed a number of documents, including one on the establishment of the Committee for Standardization and Quality of the Union State.”
Yelena Morgunova noted that this represents a comprehensive approach to addressing tasks related to protecting the domestic market of the two countries and removing barriers that arise when products access the market. “To a greater extent, this concerns protecting the Union State market from non-compliant products from third countries, mutual support through technical regulation instruments, standardization, uniformity of measurements, accreditation issues, state supervision and control. These issues will be discussed jointly today, also in the presence of State Secretary of the Union State Sergey Glazyev, in order to develop comprehensive approaches primarily for protecting the domestic market to enhance our technological independence and further stable development,” Yelena Morgunova said.
Yelena Morgunova also provided more details about the Union State Product status. “The heads of state signed the relevant documents defining what is meant by a Union State product. The criteria have already been developed, agreed upon, and approved. First and foremost, it is a product in which the Belarusian or Russian component constitutes no less than 50% of its value. It is recognized as such if it is obtained through cooperative joint projects. There is a methodology for determining product origin. It was developed by the Industry Ministry of Belarus. Another criterion is that this product must comply with the requirements of Union State standards. Additionally, the product is subject to uniform testing methods and, accordingly, uniform approaches within the framework of technical regulation,” the head of Gosstandart said.
State Secretary of the Union State Sergey Glazyev emphasized that the development of joint standards at an advanced technical level is a crucial element of both industrial policy and scientific-technological development. “What our colleagues at Gosstandart and Rosstandart are working on makes the foundation of our technical and economic development. Unfortunately, few people today understand the core importance of standards in our lives. Through our joint work, we will strive to ensure that our advanced standards are implemented. Generally speaking, things are going well with our science. The standards being developed in both Belarus and Russia correspond to the world level,” he explained. “Belarus has preserved its product quality control system. Here, consumers can buy products without fear, without worrying that what is written on the label will not correspond to reality. Through our joint efforts, we will be able to extend the high level of quality control achieved in Belarus throughout the Eurasian Economic Union, because this is in our common interests and not only for the protection of consumer rights.”
Yelena Morgunova also provided more details about the Union State Product status. “The heads of state signed the relevant documents defining what is meant by a Union State product. The criteria have already been developed, agreed upon, and approved. First and foremost, it is a product in which the Belarusian or Russian component constitutes no less than 50% of its value. It is recognized as such if it is obtained through cooperative joint projects. There is a methodology for determining product origin. It was developed by the Industry Ministry of Belarus. Another criterion is that this product must comply with the requirements of Union State standards. Additionally, the product is subject to uniform testing methods and, accordingly, uniform approaches within the framework of technical regulation,” the head of Gosstandart said.
State Secretary of the Union State Sergey Glazyev emphasized that the development of joint standards at an advanced technical level is a crucial element of both industrial policy and scientific-technological development. “What our colleagues at Gosstandart and Rosstandart are working on makes the foundation of our technical and economic development. Unfortunately, few people today understand the core importance of standards in our lives. Through our joint work, we will strive to ensure that our advanced standards are implemented. Generally speaking, things are going well with our science. The standards being developed in both Belarus and Russia correspond to the world level,” he explained. “Belarus has preserved its product quality control system. Here, consumers can buy products without fear, without worrying that what is written on the label will not correspond to reality. Through our joint efforts, we will be able to extend the high level of quality control achieved in Belarus throughout the Eurasian Economic Union, because this is in our common interests and not only for the protection of consumer rights.”
The main instrument of trade policy to protect the market and the interests of domestic producers is compliance with standards and quality, the state secretary emphasized. “First and foremost, strict compliance with technical regulations by importers. If we achieve this, then our producers, the output of our factories, will circulate on our market and we will be able to avoid unfair competition. If we can ensure the compliance with the standards and technical regulations, then, I think, it will be more lively and interesting to work on the market” Sergey Glazyev said.
Head of Rosstandart Anton Shalaev noted that the establishment of the Committee for Standardization and Quality of the Union State provides an opportunity to unify work on standards. “For us, this is an opportunity to promote the idea of the Union State product, which is not only created by our enterprises but must also be developed according to the highest joint requirements and ultimately be competitive both within the Union State space and, we hope, beyond it. And, of course, this is an opportunity for quality control that will prevent falsified, counterfeit, and simply non-compliant products from appearing on the territory of the Union State,” he emphasized.
According to Anton Shalaev, a very important new stage of interaction has begun. "The Committee is a collegial body established on a parity basis, consisting of representatives from Belarus' Gosstandart and its subordinate organizations, Rosstandart and its subordinate organizations, and the Permanent Committee of the Union State. The first task is to set up a Union State standards database. It is very important that we do not plan to develop some new type of standard. We must find the best that exists among the current standards of Belarus and Russia. Understand to what extent this could be of interest to business, enterprises, and industry in both countries, and thereby create a common database that will enable enterprises to directly use these standards,” he emphasized.“The second area can be designated as protecting the market from counterfeits and non-compliant, falsified products. Here, the task is to develop within the Union State the new regulations of the Union State, the implementation of which will help, at certain early stages, to seize and prevent non-compliant products from entering the market. Because it is always much more difficult to remove from the market what has already entered it.”
On the sidelines of the meeting, the parties are expected to sign Union State standardization plans for 2026-2030 in a number of economic sectors and cooperation agreements.
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