Spark – together with CSES, Asterisk Research & Analysis and the Czech Metrology Institute – will provide an evaluation of the EU legal metrology framework, examining in particular the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and EU added-value of the Directive 2014/31/EU and Directive 2014/32/EU.
Correct measuring and common units of measurement are essential for the functioning of any market, as they ensure unambiguous transactions between a seller and a buyer and non-corruptible registration of results used as the basis of payments. In this context, EU legislation on legal metrology – i.e., the regulatory requirements for well-established measurements and measuring instruments – is one of the main building blocks of the single market for products, as it caters for the free movement of compliant measuring instruments, enhancing the protection of consumers, health, public safety, the environment, and facilitating taxation and protection of fair trade.
Time to evaluate the legislative framework in legal metrology
The two main EU directives in the field of legal metrology are Directive 2014/31/EU (i.e., the Non-automatic measuring instruments Directive, NAWI-D) and Directive 2014/32/EU, amended by Directive 2015/13/EU (i.e., the Measuring instruments Directive, MID). Both Directives entered into force on 20 April 2016 and replaced pre-existing Directives to include elements of the New Legislative Framework (NLF). Despite the important novelties brought forward by the MID and the NAWI, however, their technical content (essential requirements) and product coverage remained largely unchanged compared to the previous directives.
Thus, it is now time to evaluate the EU legislative framework in the field of legal metrology to assess whether it is still fit for purpose in light of the most recent technical progress, which has led to new products being placed on the market, new applications, and taking into account the new role played by digital and environmental aspects.
