The Use of Petroleum Standards and a New MOU with Montenegro

Between the Adriatic and Black Seas lie several Eastern European states with connections to ASTM through its memorandum of understanding program. The standards bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro and Serbia have signed MOUs, which encourage participation from global stakeholders in the ASTM process and broaden the acceptance and use of ASTM standards.

The Institute for Standardization of Montenegro (ISME) has found common ground with ASTM through its recently signed MOU. "For us, it presents a significant step in expanding common goals with both international and regional NSBs," says Miodrag Perovic, ISME director general. "The availability of ASTM standards will be sound ground for widening accomplishments and practices prescribed within concerned standards and related documents." ISME, which signed the MOU in July, aims to develop and promote the standardization system in Montenegro and distribute standards that will benefit the economy.

The Institute for Standardization of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAS), an ASTM MOU partner since 2002, has adopted, consulted or referenced more than 100 ASTM standards. In particular, BAS has referenced numerous standards from Committee D02 on Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels and Lubricants, including tests for automotive gasoline, diesel fuel and light distillate oil. Among these are standard methods for the research octane number (D2699) and motor octane number (D2700) of spark ignition car engine fuels, which help indicate engine performance.

Kosovo's national standards body, the Kosovo Standardization Agency (AKS), has been an MOU partner since 2013. AKS has been interested in fuel standards from Committee D02 and has consulted several of its testing standards. Among those are standards for detecting benzene in spark ignition fuels (D6277), oxygenates in gasoline (D5599), and ethers and alcohol in gasoline (D4815 and D5845).

In 2012, Vitalie Dragancea, general director of the National Institute of Standardization of the Republic of Moldova, and James A. Thomas, ASTM president, signed an MOU to begin a partnership between the two standards bodies. The organization has consulted standards from Committees E06 on Performance of Buildings and F20 on Hazardous Substances and Oil Spill Response. The E06 standard addresses the use of ropes in accessing both the inside and the outside of buildings for inspection or maintenance (E2505).

The Institute for Standardization of Serbia, an MOU partner since 2010, provides standards consistent with international and European standards to its members and the public; it cooperates with European and international organizations on standardization areas of interest for the country. Of the 120 ASTM standards that ISS has adopted, more than 80 help ensure the quality of petroleum and fuels. ISS has also adopted several standards in each of these areas: plastics, metallography, analytical chemistry for metals and ores, and fatigue and fracture.

"Better access to and understanding of ASTM standards will help to build infrastructures for local industries while enhancing stabilization throughout this important region," concluded James A. Thomas, President, ASTM International.