Amending the Measuring Instruments Directive

The European Parliament adopted by 594 votes to 25, with 23 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2014/32/EU as regards electric vehicle supply equipment, compressed gas dispensers, and electricity, gas and thermal energy meters.

As a reminder, the Commission proposal is a targeted technical amendment of Directive 2014/32/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of measuring instruments (Measuring Instruments Directive - MID). This targeted technical amendment is needed to avoid further fragmentation of the single market.

Parliament adopted its position at first reading by amending the Commission's proposal.

Modification of the annexes

The amended text contains:

- adjustments to Annex I to Directive 2014/32/EU to take into account the rollout of smart gas and electricity meters and the new measuring instruments in the new instrument-specific Annexes;

- adjustments to Annex IV to Directive 2014/32/EU to take into account the growing use of hydrogen and other fuel gases that can be used as alternatives to more traditional fuel gases and the rollout of smart gas meters;

- adjustments to Annex V to Directive 2014/32/EU to take into account the rollout of smart electricity meters and to update that Directive with regard to instruments measuring direct current;

- the insertion of a new annex to Directive 2014/32/EU to address the need for harmonised essential requirements with regard to measuring systems for electric vehicle supply equipment, irrespective of their intended application, while ensuring that no retrofitting obligations are imposed as regards existing charging stations;

- adjustments to Annex VI to Directive 2014/32/EU to include thermal energy meters for cooling applications in order to avoid additional certification for such products at national level.

The amended text stressed that the placing on the market of measuring instruments should be addressed in a systematic and comprehensive way through a general revision of Directive 2014/32/EU, including a revision of Annex I and instrument-specific Annexes, such as Annex III covering water meters, to adapt the current Union framework to technological developments.

Transitional arrangements

To enable economic operators to supply stocks of measuring instruments that are in conformity with Directive 2014/32/EU, the amending directive provides for reasonable transitional arrangements that allow the making available on the market and putting into use of measuring instruments that have already been placed on the market in accordance with that Directive before the date of application of the national measures transposing this Directive. Furthermore, specific transitional arrangements should be put in place to allow economic operators to prepare for the application of the harmonised requirements regarding measuring systems for EVSE and measuring systems for compressed gas dispensers.

Conformity assessment bodies

In order to avoid any delay in the rollout of measuring instruments after the date of application of this Directive, it is important that, by the date of application of this Directive, a sufficient number of conformity assessment bodies are authorised to carry out conformity assessments applying the new requirements for measuring instruments and are therefore notified to the Commission accordingly. For the same reason, such notified bodies should be able to issue certificates for the measuring instruments defined in the instrument-specific Annexes II, III and V to this Directive before the date of application of this Directive.

Transposition and application

Member States should adopt, no later than two years from the date of entry into force of this amending Directive, the measures necessary to comply with this Directive. They should apply these measures from 30 months from the date of entry into force of the amending Directive.