Minister John Attard Montalto and Malta Standardisation Authority Chairman in London for meetings with the British Standards Institute

Minister for Economic Affairs and Industry, Dr. John Attard Montalto, is in London where, together with Malta Standardisation Authority (MSA) Chairman, Dr. Paul Debattista, he is meeting officials from the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

BSI is a non-profit organisation, independent of Government, industry or trade associations whose core activity remains standardisation. The operating divisions-Product Certification; Quality Assurance; Standards; Testing and Training Services-are designed to further the use of standards. Manufacturers, importers and retailers world-wide rely upon BSI Testing to independently assess the performance of their products for safety, reliability and quality. BSI is a leading provider of both registration and training.

The meetings are intended to enhance the functioning of the MSA through the expertise of the BSI, the first national standards body in the world. There are now more than 100 similar organisations which are members of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). These bodies produce harmonised world standards.

Subjects for discussion with Dr. D. Potter, General Manager - International Standards BSI, include assistance in the preparation of national legislation and the possibility of a twinning agreement between MSA and BSI. Also on the agenda is assistance in planning, introducing or launching a national education campaign aimed towards local manufacturers, importers and consumers vis-à-vis regulations and voluntary standards. BSI and NPL expertise will also be consulted in attaining international accreditation for the National Laboratory which will be set up in the Evans Building, in Valletta.

At the BSI all standards are drawn up by committees made up of representatives who have a particular interest in the subject, including manufacturers, users, research organisations, government departments and consumers. BSI staff act as secretaries to these committees and co-ordinate the work and project manage the production of standards. Before any standard is published, it is made available for public comment.