Legal metrology

Legal metrology ensures that the instruments used in economic life and for public safety comply with the regulations.

The elaboration of regulations and metrological control are the main aspects of legal metrology.

Metrological control is carried out at multiple levels: from the design and production of measuring instruments to the operation of the measuring instruments that have been put into service.

The role of the FPS Economy

The role of the FPS Economy in legal metrology is:

• to develop and update regulations and ensure the equivalence of legal texts and regulations, for both national and international societal needs;
• to prevent non-compliant instruments from being brought on the market and put into service;
• to set up and implement an annual monitoring programme for:
  • the measuring instruments put into service;
  • pre-packaging by weight or volume of pre-packaged products;
• to exercise supervision over services provided by recognised bodies authorised to intervene in this area under a legal delegation scheme.

Some legal metrology tasks are performed by recognised bodies authorised for:

• weighing instruments;
• measurement of liquids other than water (e.g., fuel pumps).