Malta Standards Authority (Establishment of the Metrology Directorate) Order, 2001 (L.N. No. 312 of 2001)

L.N. 312 of 2001 MALTA STANDARDS AUTHORITY ACT,2000 (ACT NO. XIX OF 2000) Malta Standards Authority (Establishment of the Metrology Directorate) Order, 2001 IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 3(14) of the Malta Standards Authority Act, the Minister for Economic Services has made the following Order B 3411 1. (1) The title of this Order is the Malta Standards Authority Citation and (Establishment of the Metrology Directorate) Order, 2001. commencement. (2) This Order lays down the establishment, organisation and operation of the Metro logy Directorate within the Malta Standards Authority. (3) The date of coming into force of this Order is 1st January, 2002. 2. In this Order, the following definitions shall apply, unless the Definitions. context otherwise requires; "Act" means the Malta Standards Authority Act, 2000; "Authority" means the Malta Standards Authority; "calibration" encompasses all the operations for the purpose of determining the values of errors of a measuring instrument; "Head of Directorate" means the person appointed to that post according to the provisions of article 3(17) of the Act; "legal metrology" is that part of metrology which deals with units of measurement, methods of measurement and of measuring instruments, in relation to the mandatory technical and legal requirements which have the object of ensuring the appropriate accuracy of measurements; B 3412 Establishment of the Metrology Directorate. "measurement standard" is a measuring instrument intended to define, to represent physically, to conserve or to reproduce the unit of measurement of a quantity, or a multiple or sub-multiple of that unit, in order to transmit it to other measuring instruments by comparison; "measuring instrument" is a device intended to be used to make measurements, alone or in conjunction with a supplementary device or devices; "metrology" is the field of knowledge concerned with measurement; "National Measurement Standard" is a measurement standard which is the basis for fixing the value in a country of all other standards of the given quantity; "Ordinance" means the Weights and Measures Ordinance, Cap. 39; "traceability" means the property of the result of a measurement which is related, through an unbroken chain of comparisons, to international measurement standards; "verification" means all the operations carried out by the Metrology Directorate having the object of ascertaining and confirming that the measuring instrument entirely satisfies the requirements of the Ordinance for verification; "Working Measurement Standard" is a measurement standard which, calibrated against a national measurement standard, is intended to verify ordinary measuring instruments of lower accuracy. 3. (1) There shall be established, within the Authority and as provided for in article 3(14) of the Act, a Metrology Directorate. (2) The Metrology Directorate shall be the national body responsible for matters related to metrology and legal metrology in Malta. The main functions of the Metrology Directorate shall, in particular, consist of the following: (a) to be responsible for the execution, upkeep and conservation of National Measurement Standards and to maintain their accuracy by comparison with international measurement standards; (b) to provide Working Measurement Standards of suitable accuracy for use in Malta, by comparison with the National Measurement Standards; (c) to be responsible for the National Measurement Standards and their traceability; ( d) to organise the national calibration and traceability activity; (e) to prepare and implement the national metrology strategy; (f) to carry out scientific and technical work in all fields of metrology and measuring methods; (g) to take part in the work of other national organisations interested in metrology; (h) to disseminate information relevant to metrology; (i) to be responsible for the enforcement of all metrology regulations drawn up by virtue of the Ordinance; G) to be responsible for the execution and calibration of Measurement Standards and verification equipment; (k) to oversee, monitor and supervise the manufacture and repair of measuring instruments; (1) to bring to the attention of the authorities any fraud in relation to measurements in the provision of goods and services; (m) to provide for the holding of examinations for the purpose of ascertaining whether persons possess sufficient skill, knowledge and professional integrity for the proper performance of their functions to be performed by virtue of the Ordinance; (n) to collaborate with the relevant inspection bodies in the fields of measuring instruments and pre-packaged products; ( o) to liase with other foreign national institutions having similar aims and to represent Malta in international metrological institutions. B 3413 B 3414 The Head of the Metrology Directorate. (3) The technical and related enforcement functions as well as organisational assignments in the field of metrology, which are laid down in this Order and in any other law, shall be performed by the Metro logy Directorate. ( 4) The functions of the Metrology Directorate under this regulation shall apply in the fields of transactions in goods and services, proceedings before the administrative and judicial authorities and the protection of public health, safety and the environment. 4. ( 1) A Head of the Metrology Directorate shall be appointed according to the provisions of article 3(17) of the Act. (2) In exercising its functions under this Order, the Metrology Directorate shall be functionally independent from the Authority as regards operational matters and, more specifically, as regards technical matters within its area of competence. In particular, the Metrology Directorate shall be independent of any other structure or official within the Authority as regards the implementation of the functions listed in subarticles (2) and (3) of article 3. (3) Without prejudice to subarticle (2) of this article, the Metrology Directorate shall operate subject to the administrative and financial control of the Authority as provided for in the Act as well as subject to the general policy of the Authority. Ippubblikat mid-Dipartiment ta' 1-lnformazzjonl - 3, Pjitu,, Kastilja - Published by the Depa~tm.ent of Information 3, Castille Place Mitbugh fl-Istamperija tal-Gvem - Printed at the Government Printing Press . Prezz 8c - Pnce Be