CE marking – measuring instruments
Directive 2014/32/EU (recast of Directive 2004/22/EC) on measuring instruments
Directive 2014/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of measuring instruments (recast) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 29 March 2014 and entered into force on 20 April 2014. It became applicable in the Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area on 20 April 2016. The implementation and update in Austria took place through the Measurement and Calibration Act (Maß- und Eichgesetz), the Regulation of the Federal Minister for Science, Research and Economy and the calibration provisions of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying.
Directive 2014/32/EU is a recast of Directive 2004/22/EC, adapting it to the provisions of the new legal framework pursuant to Decision No 768/2008/EC.
Directive (EU) 2026/706 introduced a targeted amendment to the Measuring Instruments Directive, in particular to harmonise cooling meters, charging devices in electromobility, and measuring systems for compressed gases. In addition, the options for displaying smart electricity and gas meters have been expanded.
The European Union Member States adopt and publish laws, regulations and administrative provisions to transpose directives into national law. In Austria, this is done for the Measuring Instruments Directive and its amendments by means of amendments to the Measurement and Calibration Act, the Measuring Instruments Regulation (Messgeräteverordnung), and the calibration provisions of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying in the Official Journal for Metrology (Amtsblatt für das Eichwesen).
The initial placing on the market and the initial putting into service of the following types of measuring instruments are governed by Europe-wide requirements:
- water meters
- gas meters and volume correctors
- active electrical energy meters
- measuring instruments for thermal energy
- measuring systems for the continuous and dynamic measurement of liquids other than water
- automatic weighing instruments
- taximeters
- material measures
- devices for measuring lengths and their combinations
- charging devices for electromobility
- measuring systems for compressed gases.
The Measuring Instruments Directive sets out not only fundamental and instrument-specific requirements, but also the procedures that manufacturers must follow to declare the conformity of their measuring instruments with these requirements when placing them on the market and/or putting them into service (with the involvement of a notified body). They are complemented by harmonised standards and normative documents (e.g. CEN, CENELEC and the OIML), which contain more precise requirements and test procedures.
All of the amendments to the Measuring Instruments Directive contain transitional provisions allowing for a period during which certificates remain valid and measuring instruments can still be placed on the market under the previous provisions. The transitional provisions governing initial placing on the market can be found in the Measuring Instruments Regulation, while the transitional periods for calibration are set out in the relevant calibration provisions of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying.
The full marking required under the Measuring Instruments Directive consists of the following elements:
The CE conformity marking, followed by ‘M’ and the year, enclosed within a rectangle, followed by the identification number of the notified body.
The notified bodies in Europe can be found in the NANDO database.
The requirements for the notification of bodies can be found here: Requirements (PDF, 129 KB) (in German)
Directive 2014/31/EU (recast of Directive 2009/23/EC on non-automatic weighing instruments – codification of Directive 90/384/EEC)
Directive 2014/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of non-automatic weighing instruments (recast) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 29 March 2014 and entered into force on 20 April 2014. It became applicable in the Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area on 20 April 2016. The implementation and update in Austria took place through the Measurement and Calibration Act (Maß- und Eichgesetz), the Regulation of the Federal Minister for Science, Research and Economy and the calibration provisions of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying.
Directive 2014/31/EU is a recast of Directive 2009/23/EC (codification of Directive 90/384/EEC), adapting it to the provisions of the new legal framework pursuant to Decision No 768/2008/EC. This Decision provides for the horizontal harmonisation of procedures, general definitions and modules to be used for conformity assessment procedures.
No changes have been made to the technical requirements for measuring instruments.
The European Union Member States adopt and publish laws, regulations and administrative provisions to transpose this Directive into national law. In Austria, this was done for the first time by means of the Regulation (Federal Law Gazette (BGBl.) No 751/1994) of the Federal Minister for the Economy, as last amended by BGBl. II No 222/2010, and by the relevant calibration provisions of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying published in Official Journal for Metrology No 3/1994.
Therefore, for non-automatic weighing instruments, the initial placing on the market and the initial putting into service, as well as the requirement to have them calibrated, have been regulated under Europe-wide requirements since 1994.
The transposition of the new version sets out not only fundamental and instrument-specific requirements, but also the procedures that manufacturers must follow to declare the conformity of their measuring instruments with these requirements when placing them on the market and/or putting them into service (with the involvement of a notified body). They are complemented by harmonised standards and normative documents (e.g. CEN, CENELEC and the OIML), which contain more precise requirements and test procedures.
The full marking required under the Directive consists of the following elements:
The CE conformity marking, followed by ‘M’ and the year, enclosed within a rectangle, followed by the identification number of the notified body.
The notified bodies in Europe can be found in the NANDO database.
The requirements for the notification of bodies can be found here: Requirements (PDF, 129 KB) (in German)
Contact
Department of Metrology: messwesen@bmwet.gv.at