| Summary |
This summary contains the main conclusions and the recommendations of the study ‘Interim Evaluation of the Measuring Instruments Directive’. The study was conducted by the Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services (CSES) LLP during the period November 2009 – July 2010 for the European Commission Directorate General Enterprise and Industry. The Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on measuring instruments (MID) has been operational since October 2006. It ensures the free movement of measuring instruments in the internal market and applies to the following instruments defined in the Annexes to the Directive: •water meters (MI-001); •gas meters and volume conversion devices; (MI-002) •active electrical energy meters; (MI-003) •heat meters; (MI-004) •measuring systems for continuous and dynamic measurement of quantities of liquids other then water; (MI-005) •automatic weighing instruments; (MI-006) •taximeters; (MI-007) •material measures; (MI-008) •dimensional measuring instruments; (MI-009) •exhaust gas analysers (MI-010). Under Article 25 of the Measuring Instruments Directive the Commission was invited to report, before 30 April 2011, on the implementation of this Directive on the basis of reports provided by the Member States, and, where appropriate, to submit a proposal for amendments. As part of the response of the Commission, an evaluation study was commissioned aiming to compile, assess and present information on the implementation and functioning of the Directive in terms of its impacts and application, in order to define the potential for improvement. The objectives of the evaluation, as set out in the terms of reference, are to: •Provide a quantified table of approximate figures for each of the 10 sectors and subsectors of the measuring instrument s (MIs) listed. •Assess, to this point, the effectiveness of the Directive, and more specifically: o the extent that the Directive contributed to an efficiently operating internal market for the goods in question o the extent that the Directive influences technological innovation and to what extent it has contributed to the development of innovation Interim Evaluation of the Measuring Instruments Directive – Final report ii o the extent that the Directive achieved its aims with regard to the protection of consumers and users o the extent that a two tier market concerning consumer protection and competition has developed, and to assess if there is difference where Member States have not opted to require Legal metrological control (optionality) o the participation of non -government stakeholders in the measuring instruments committee and their impression as well that of others as regards their participation o the overall strengths and weaknesses of the Directive •Assess the impacts of the Directive on markets and European companies in terms of costs or administrative burdens and of tangible benefits •Assess the implementation of the Directive in the Member States and identify the barriers to effective application of the Directive and the ways that such barriers could be overcome •Identify measures that could be taken to improve the utility of the Directive and the expected role of the adaptation of the new approach (omnibus) to its implementation It should be noted that this evaluation did not examine issues related to specific proposals by stakeholders and the inclusion of additional categories of instruments in the MID. This is an exercise that falls under the scope of a separate study commissioned by the European Commission. In order to carry out this assignment, CSES used a combination of research tools including a review of relevant documents and publications, collection and analysis of market and other data from a range of public and private sources and 91 interviews with the main stakeholders related to the Directive (Member States’ competent authorities, industry associations and companies active in sectors covered by the MID, standardization bodies, SMEs and consumer representatives and legal metrology experts). It also organised a survey of the notified bodies that conduct the tests for the provision of conformity to the requirements of the Directive and used the data of the SME panel survey that was organised by the Commission services. |
