G/TBT/GEN/211  
 
6 February 2017  
(17-0711) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
RECENT ACTIVITIES IN OIML  
INFORMATION PROVIDED  BY THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF LEGA L METROLOGY (OIML)  
This document contains information provided by the OIML at the TBT Committee meeting of  
10-11 November 2016 under Agenda Item 4 (Updating by Observ ers). 
 
_______________  
 
The following recent activities of the OIML are of particular interest to the TBT Committee:  
1  THE 15th CONFERENCE ON LEGAL METROLOGY AND THE 51st MEETING OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMIT TEE OF LEGAL METROLO GY (CIML)  
1.1.  The four -yearly OIML  Conference took place in Strasbourg in October 2016. The Conference 
approved the budget for the new financial period which maintained membership fees at their 
current levels. This means that the minimum annual contribution for a Member State is €14,000.  
1.2.  In conjunction with the OIML Conference, the 51st annual CIML Meeting was also held in 
Strasbourg. A number of important decisions were taken concerning the OIML’s work:  
1.1  Activities for Countries and Economies with Emerging Metrology Systems  
1.3.  The CIML deci ded that the existing Advisory Group on CEEMS matters should continue to be 
the focus of the OIML’s work in this area. It reconfirmed the allocation of the chair of this group to 
Mr Pu Changcheng (P.R. China). Formalised terms of reference will be develope d during the 
coming year and published as an OIML Basic Publication.  
1.2  OIML certification systems  
1.4.  Throughout 2016, a Certificate System Project Group has worked to develop a modernised 
and simplified OIML system for the certification of measuring instrumen ts. Following the 
completion of this group’s work, the CIML approved a new Basic Publication Framework for the 
OIML Certification System (OIML -CS). A provisional management committee for the new system 
was also put in place, chaired by the CIML First Vice -President, Roman Schwartz (Germany). The 
intention is for the new system to come into operation from 1 January 2018, replacing the existing 
OIML Basic Certificate System and Mutual Acceptance Arrangement.  
1.3  New and revised OIML Recommendations  
1.5.  The CIML app roves all new and revised OIML Recommendations. Of particular interest to the 
TBT Committee are the following Recommendations which are of great importance to international 
trade:  
 New Recommendation Protein measuring instruments for cereal grains and oils eeds  
 Revision of R 59 Moisture meters for cereal grains and oilseeds  
 Revision of R 87 Quantity of product in prepackages  G/TBT/GEN/211  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.6.  Members are reminded that OIML Recommendations are intended as models for national or 
regional technical legislation, and are consid ered as appropriate international standards in the field 
of metrology regulation. Under the OIML Convention, OIML Member States have a moral obligation 
to implement these Recommendations as far as possible.  
1.4  OIML Award for Excellent Achievements in Legal Me trology in Developing Countries  
1.7.  The 2016 award was made to the Institute of Trade Standards Administration, Kenya for its 
contribution to the development of reliable legal metrology systems in East Africa. This body is the 
professional body for legal metr ologists in Kenya. It also administers, in conjunction with the 
Department of Weights and Measures, the curriculum and training for Kenyan legal metrology 
officers. The Institute has also organised short training courses for Burundi, Rwanda and Ethiopia. 
All this work is conducted without permanent management staff or an office, and is run by an 
Executive Council elected by its members at its Annual General Meetings. The elected members of 
the ITSA Executive Council also happen to be serving Legal Metrology  Officers in the Department 
of Weights and Measures, Kenya.  
2  DEVELOPMENT OF AN E -LEARNING PLATFORM FO R LEGAL METROLOGY  
2.1.  The OIML is working closely with the ACP EU TBT Programme on the development of an e -
learning platform focussing on legal metrology. Sin ce the Programme is due to conclude its work 
this year, the system will be hosted on the OIML’s web servers to ensure its long -term 
sustainability. Although the scope of the material available on launch will be limited by the 
Programme’s time -constraints, the OIML will also be working to expand the courses available in 
the future.  
For any further information, please contact Ian Dunmill, Assistant Director, ian.dunmill@oiml.org  
__________