THE ASSOCIATION

AECORKbrings together the companies dedicated to manufacturing and/or commercialising cork products based in Catalonia. This currently means about 70 companies, representing about 95% of the cork manufacturers in Catalonia.

The Association of Cork Companies of Catalonia, AECORK, was created in 1977 (its statutes were approved on July eleventh 1977) following the work started by the so-called "Provincial Group of the Cork Industry and Trade" created in 1962. The Provincial Group substituted other cork industry associations that dated back to almost 1750, when the cork and cork stopper industry started..

QUALITY

AECORK firmly opts for quality. It is important to mention that since 1995, when the first company received its certificate, to date, there are about twenty companies that now have the ISO 9000 certification, there is one company with an ISO 14000 certification and we have the first cork company internationally to have an EMAS.

The quality of the product mainly depends on the existence of a meticulous control of the entire process covering the selection of the quality of the raw material to be used in manufacturing through to the detailed analysis of the different stages through which the product passes. The company laboratories analyse the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the product and check that the quality criteria established are met.

To satisfy the needs of the cork industry, the Catalan Cork Institute has its own laboratory, the CORK CENTER, which has as its main objectives:
- To offer a specialised technical service to cork companies.
- To offer the analytical services that cork requires according to the standardised parameters of quality rules.
- To issue technical reports about the cork product and related matters.
- To collaborate in the official processes of standardisation of products (it collaborates with AENOR making up part of the UNE committees of standardisation and with the ISO TC87 technical committee).
- To co-ordinate the cork industry's lines of research and to support it.
The CORK CENTER has the equipment necessary to carry out the tests relating to ISO, UNE and NCS standards as well as current European regulations, with the Celiège Guide of Good Cork Practices for Systecode, etc.

ECONOMIC INFORMATION
On 2000, sales of the companies associated to AECORK come to 205 million €, of which 114 million € correspond to exports.
FISCAL INFORMATION
AECORK (Associaciķ d'Empresaris Surers de Catalunya)
C/ Miquel Vincke i Meyer nē 13
17200 Palafrugell (Girona)
Tel: 972 300 227
Fax: 972 302870
E-mail: aecork@aecork.com
CIF o NIF: G 17040585
RM:Departament de Treball - Dipòsit Núm. 93/79/09.