As part of the EU4Trade project, implemented within the broader RegioTrade project by GIZ, a workshop to support the work and cooperation of technical committees for postal services, logistics and transport was held at Bjelašnica on 21 and 22 October. The committees were established within the Institutes for standardization of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

During the two-day workshop, representatives of the technical committees exchanged experiences and worked on defining a framework for future activities. The workshop speakers were Mr Nikola Trubint, a European expert in postal services and the first Chair of the Postal Traffic Commission at the Institute for Standardization of Serbia, and Ms Jovanka Šević, the current Chair of the Postal Traffic Commission at the Institute for Standardization of Serbia.

The aim of the workshop was to strengthen regional cooperation and increase the practical application of standardization in the postal and logistics sectors. Special attention was given to how technical committees can contribute to the development of postal and logistics services and how their work can be aligned with the needs of businesses and institutions.

Work plans for 2027–2029

One of the tangible outcomes of the workshop was an agreement on a framework for developing work plans for the technical committees for 2027–2029. The planning process will include setting priorities, identifying challenges and defining activities to promote the importance of standardization.

The next step is to present the work plans to relevant stakeholders. This will provide an opportunity to take into account the needs of institutions, businesses and other stakeholders in this sector when determining the committees’ future activities.

Standardization as a means of improving service quality

Standardization plays an important role in establishing common technical and operational frameworks that facilitate cooperation between organizations. This is particularly relevant to postal and logistics services because of the cross-border movement of consignments, the interconnection of different systems and the need for services to respond to the changing expectations of users and businesses.

The importance of standardization extends beyond the adoption of standards. Its value also depends on practical implementation, professional capacity, cooperation between institutions and businesses, and the continuous improvement of processes. This is why the work of technical committees has broader significance: they create a framework for expert cooperation and help guide future standardization activities.

The regional workshop at Bjelašnica represents a step forward in this process. The agreed framework for developing work plans for 2027–2029 and their subsequent presentation to stakeholders provide a basis for continued cooperation among technical committees in the region.

The participants representing BiH technical committee BAS/TC 67, Postal and Logistics Services, were its Chair, Nedim Moranjkić, and five committee members. The Institute for Standardization of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in its capacity as the technical secretary of BAS/TC 67, was represented by Miljan Vasković, Associate in the standardization sector.