Planning: The Quality Control Apparatus Has Become Part Of The Global Control System.
Local | 12:34 - 26/12/2025 Mawazin News – Baghdad The Ministry of Planning confirmed on Friday that the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality
Control (COSQC) has become part of the global regulatory system. COSQC President Fayyad Mohammed stated, "The COSQC does not operate in isolation from the international trade system. Rather, its technical and regulatory functions are based on an integrated system of international agreements and standards, ensuring that Iraqi standards are aligned with global regulations and achieving a balance between consumer protection and facilitating the flow of trade."
He added, "The COSQC's international references include the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT – WTO). The organization plays its role in preparing and implementing Iraqi standards and technical regulations in accordance with the principles of this agreement, which stipulate non-discrimination between domestic and imported goods, reliance on scientific and technical foundations, and avoidance of imposing technical requirements that constitute an unjustified obstacle to trade." He explained that "under these conditions, the organization ensures that Iraqi standards are compatible with international standards and commercially recognized."
He added that "the agency's references also include the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), which the agency, in coordination with health and agricultural authorities, relies on to assess the health risks of imported food and agricultural products. It also adopts laboratory tests as the scientific basis for acceptance or rejection decisions and applies the principle of prevention without violating international trade rules."
He pointed out that "the Central Agency relies on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards when preparing or updating Iraqi standards and defining quality and safety requirements for imported goods. It also adopts quality management systems in laboratories and testing bodies, which contributes to raising the level of technical conformity and unifying references."
He explained that "the Codex Alimentarius Commission is the agency's primary reference in the field of inspecting imported foods, determining maximum limits for contaminants and food additives, and adopting laboratory testing and analysis methods, which enhances food safety and protects public health."
Regarding regional and international cooperation, the head of the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control affirmed that "the organization coordinates with regional and international organizations such as the Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to harmonize standards, build technical capacities, and facilitate mutual recognition."
He pointed out that "the basic standards adopted by the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control in its import operations include a certificate of origin to verify the source of goods and ensure they do not originate from prohibited areas, in addition to a certificate of conformity to prove the product's compliance with Iraqi standards, and a label to ensure clear information for the consumer in Arabic."
He noted that "the technical and procedural controls implemented by the organization include risk management for classifying shipments according to the type of goods and the importer's record, laboratory testing to conduct physical, chemical, and microbiological analyses, and its role in supporting other entities in implementing electronic systems such as the ASYCUDA system."
He explained that "the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control represents the fundamental technical pillar in import control, as its role is not limited to inspection alone, but extends to setting standards, harmonizing them internationally, implementing them in the field, and supporting regulatory decisions with scientific evidence."
He added that "Iraqi oversight thus becomes an active part of the global regulatory system, and consumer protection is achieved without harming trade." https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=272027
