User login
Legal Metrology in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Organizational structure in LM
The current institutional structure of the metrology system of B&H consists of:
- The Institute of Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina (IMBIH);
- The Entity Institutions of Metrology: Bureau of Metrology of Federation of B&H and Republic Bureau of Standardization and Metrology of Republic of Srpska;
- Nominated metrological Laboratories and Bodies (verification laboratories);
- Conformity assessment bodies for measuring instruments;
- Accredited Calibration laboratories.
In Legal Metrology IMBIH is responsible for: Issuing the laws in Metrology area, Issuing of bylaws in accordance with the Law on Metrology, Supervision over the implementation of Law on Metrology, Type examination and type approval, Nomination of laboratories dealing with verification, Nomination of bodies for conformity assessment of MID and NAWI and other measuring instruments which are subject of legal metrology, Nomination of body for control of pre-package products.
The activities performed by nominated bodies (verification, conformity assessment and pre-packages) are under supervision of Institute of Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Units
Legal units of measurement in Bosnia and Herzegovina are established by the SI system of units. The Law on Units of Measurement ("Official Gazette of BiH", No. 19/01) is in force, and changes are expected with respect to the changes defined for the four basic units of measure (kg, A, K and mole) from May 20, 2019.
Law on metrology
The metrology system of Bosnia and Herzegovina is regulated by Law on Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina („Official Gazette of B&H“, No. 19/01) and Law on the Establishment of the Institute of Metrology of B&H („Official Gazette of B&H“, No. 43/04). Beside these two laws there are numerous bylaws regulating more detailed certain metrological areas and measuring instruments.
List of MIs within the field of Legal Metrology or scope of state regulation
List of measuring instruments subject to verification and RVIs (years):
1. water meters (cold water, hot water) | 3/5 |
2. gas meters and volume conversion devices | 6/7 |
3. electrical energy meters | 6/12 |
4. thermal energy meters | 5 |
5. measuring systems for the continuous and dynamic measurement of quantities of liquids other than water | 1/2 |
6. automatic weighing instruments | 1 |
7. taximeters | 1 |
8. dimensional measuring instruments | 2 |
9. non-automatic weighing instruments | 1/2 |
10. weights (accuracy classes F1, F2, M1, M2, M3) | 2 |
11. measuring instruments for pressure | 1-2 |
12. measuring instruments for control of motor vehicles | 1 |
13. traffic speed measuring instruments | 1 |
14. measuring instruments for determining the density and concentration meters used in the trade of goods | 1 year or subject to initial verification only |
15. measuring instruments for measuring amount of substance | 1 |
16. ionizing radiation measuring instruments | 2 |
17. sound level meters for environmental control and safety in industry and health sectors | 2 |
18. volume measuring instruments | 2/5/6/10 |
19. measuring instruments for time measurements | 2/3 |
20. measuring instruments for maintaining humidity grains and oilseeds | 1 |
21. medical devices with measuring function | 1 |
22. instrument transformers | subject to initial verification only |
Type approval
IMBIH is responsible for type approval in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Measuring instrument type approval certificates are valid for up to ten years, which in practice means, that an approved measuring instrument may be placed on the market for the first time during the period of validity of the type approval certificate (initial verification). Upon expiry of the type approval certificate, measuring instruments previously placed on the market (during the validity period of the type approval) may continue to be verified unhindered as long as they satisfy the prescribed metrological requirements for a given type of measuring instruments. The measuring instruments are regularly verified according to the prescribed time intervals.
1. Legal and technical requirements for type approval
IMBIH has transposed into national regulation EU directives regulating measuring instruments and non-automatic weighing instruments as harmonized measuring instruments, where the technical requirements are the same as those in EU directives. In accordance with national bylaws, only measuring instruments having national type approval may be used in legal metrology purposes. As an input for national type approval, IMBIH is using EU type approval and OIML Certificates. Other measuring instruments are subject of national regulation (non-harmonized area).
2. Bodies, responsible for type approval
Currently, only IMBIH is obliged for type approval activities.
3. Bodies, responsible for testing for type approval
There is regulation on bodies performing procedures of conformity assessment published in year 2018. Currently, only IMBIH fulfils one of the Modules of conformity assessments.
4. Recognition of OIML certificates
IMBIH may use OIML certificates as an input in making decision if subjected measuring instrument is also appropriate for usage in B&H.
Verification
Only those instruments that have met the type examination procedure and which are type approved and which bear the official mark of the Institute of Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina may be verified in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Besides the Institute of Metrology of BiH, which is the roof institution for metrology in BiH, other metrology laboratories may perform verification activities too. These metrological laboratories represent independent scientific laboratories, laboratories of the Institute of Metrology of BiH and other laboratories in the capacity of legal entities, as well as centres for verification of measuring instruments belonging to the entity institutions for metrology in the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska. In order to be nominated to provide verification services, all metrological laboratories must fulfil a number of pre-requirements. All laboratories dealing with verification of measuring instruments must be nominated and supervised for their scope of activities by the Institute of Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1. Legal and technical requirements for initial and periodic verification Technical requirements are the same as those stated in EU directives, or in OMIL recommendations. All these technical requirements are the part of bylaws published by IMBIH.
2. Bodies for verification The metrology system in the field of legal metrology is distributed one. It means that beside IMBIH, there are other bodies that can perform activities of verification if they fulfil certain pre-requirements. The most important for those bodies is to be accredited as an inspection body in accordance with standard EN ISO/IEC 17020, to have competent staff, to have necessary and traceable equipment and laboratory premises as well to follow legislation on metrology. The list of nominated bodies/laboratories performing verification activities may be found on official website of IMBIH www.met.gov.ba
3. RVIs for 20 categories of MIs
The reverification periods are given in chapter "List of MIs within the field of Legal Metrology or scope of state regulation" of this document.
4. Other national requirements for verification
-
Conformity assessment for MIs
By signing Stabilization and Association Agreement between BiH and EU and striving for EU membership, all laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina must comply with EU legislation. Thus, the Institute of Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in charge of implementing the two EU directives in the field of metrology, the Measuring Instruments Directive and the Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments Directive, which have been transposed into BiH legislation. In accordance with these directives, conformity assessment bodies have been recognized in Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with different conformity assessment modules.
1. Brief description of the system
The system is distributed one, beside IMBIH, other public and private bodies may perform modules of conformity assessment if they fulfil certain requirements (impartiality, implementation of related standard of the family 17000).
2. Bodies for assessment of conformity with the type Explained in chapter "Type approval/Bodies, responsible for testing for type approval" of this document.
Prepackages
IMBIH is responsible for publishing of bylaw regulating prepacked area. The bodies responsible for control of prepackages are entity institutions for metrology as well other nominated bodies as it is stated in Law on Metrology of B&H (currently there are no nominated bodies).
1. Legal requirements for controlling prepackages
The legal requirements for controlling prepackages rely on EU directives, while the process of controlling is based on OIML recommendation and WELMEC guides.
2. Documents, setting requirements for prepackages
-
3. Bodies, involved in control of prepackages
Currently, only entity institutions for metrology control prepackeges.
4. Other national requirements for prepackages
-
Metrological supervision
Metrological Surveillance is the task of entity institutions for metrology as well as entity inspections.
Legal metrology practitioners
Owner of measuring instruments, hospitals, companies owner of utility meters, police, court…
Sanctions
Sanctions are prescribed in Law on Metrology of B&H for legal entities and natural persons. Sanctions vary from 60 up to 10,000 euros.