President Signs Decree on Reforming Technical Regulation and Accelerating Adoption of International Standards

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyev has signed a decree “On Measures to Accelerate Reforms in the Field of Technical Regulation Based on Advanced International Practices,” establishing a comprehensive plan to modernize the national quality infrastructure and align it with global standards.

The document sets ambitious targets for 2026: Uzbekistan is to rise by at least 20 positions in the Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development Index, increase 2.5 times the number of calibration capabilities recognized by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, and ensure that at least 80% of accreditation services are internationally recognized.

The decree also redistributes management functions: the Uzbekistan Accreditation Center, previously under the Agency for Technical Regulation, will now report directly to the Cabinet of Ministers. At the same time, the Uzbek Scientific Testing and Quality Control Center will be dissolved, along with its conformity assessment bodies.

The Uzbekistan Institute of Standards will be reorganized through the merger with the dissolved center, allowing for resource consolidation and optimization of the technical regulation system.

New incentives for entrepreneurs in conformity assessment are introduced. From 1 April 2026, fees for paid services of accreditation bodies will be reduced to 2% of revenue, with all proceeds remaining fully at the disposal of the Accreditation Center.

In areas with two or more accreditations, government agencies are prohibited from creating their own laboratories or certification bodies. Accredited bodies will also be allowed to work with foreign standards that are in demand in export markets.

Industrial and service sectors will gradually transition to international standards. Starting from 1 July, 2026, this will apply to textiles, leather, furniture, electrical engineering, automotive, and IT sectors. From 1 January 2027, oil and gas, metallurgy, transport, construction materials, and medical products will transition. By 1 January 2028, international standards will be implemented in energy, chemical industries, environmental protection, and the service sector.

In metrology, starting from 1 January 2027, a verification system will replace the traditional inspection of measuring instruments. Industrial instruments affecting product quality will move to calibration, while the certification of standard samples will be abolished. Calibration laboratories recognized by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures will be exempt from repeated accreditation.

The education system will also include measures to train personnel for the new quality infrastructure. From the 2026/2027 academic year, students studying standardization, metrology, and conformity assessment will receive a dedicated scholarship and coursework based on an international technical regulation model, including that of the European Union.

Joint “2+2” programs are planned, enabling students to complete the final two years of study at foreign universities. This will create opportunities to develop highly qualified specialists capable of working in accordance with modern international standards.