G/TBT/N/EU/631  
 
13 December 2018  
(18-7864) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible: European Commission  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
European Commission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point  
Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, o therwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): N/A 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Draft 
Commission Directive amending, for the purpose of its adaptation to technical progr ess, 
the Annex to Council Directive 80/181/EEC as regards the definitions of SI base units 
(3 pages + Annex 3 pages, in English)    
6. Description of content: This draft Directive intends to update the definitions of the SI 
base units of Directive 80/181/EEC on units of measurement so as to align them to the 
ones adopted by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) at its 26th 
meeting in November 2018.  
More particularly, the CGPM decided at its 24th meeting in 2011 a new way of defining the 
SI based on a set of seven defining constants drawn from the fundamental constants of 
physics and other constants of nature. This decision was confirmed at the 25th meeting of 
the CGPM in 2014.  
At its 26th meeting, the CGPM adopted a resolution adaptin g, as from 20 May 2019, the 
definitions of the SI base units of measurement, namely the metre, the kilogram, the 
second, the ampere, the kelvin, the mole and the candela, corresponding to the seven 
base quantities of length, mass, time, electric current, t hermodynamic temperature, 
amount of substance and luminous intensity.  
The new definitions are based on the new principle of fixed numerical values of the 
defining constants. They are expected to improve the long -term stability and reliability of 
the SI bas e units as well as accuracy and clarity of measurements. The draft Directive 
intends therefore to align the definitions of the SI base units of Directive 80/181/EEC to 
the new definitions adopted by the CGPM, ensuring thus the uniform implementation of 
the SI. G/TBT/N/EU/631  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: The draft directive intends to adapt the definitions of the SI base units so as 
to align them to the new definitions at international level and thus to ensure legal  
consistency and coherence. The modifications do not have any direct economic impact on 
businesses as they concern the legal definitions.  
The draft directive will not result in any risk of introducing a barrier to international trade, 
as it only concerns t he alignment of the definition of the SI base units used as legal units 
of measurement within the European Union to new definitions at international level.  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Directive 80/181/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States 
relating to the units of measurement https://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1544544826085&uri=CELEX:31980L0181  
9. Proposed date of adoption: First half of 2019  
Proposed date of entry into force: 20 days from publication in the Official Journal of 
the EU (about a month after ado ption approx.) - Transposition period: 9 months from the 
entry into force.  
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
European Commission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point  
Fax: + (32) 2 299 80 43  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text  is available on the EU -TBT Website:  
http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/TBT/EEC/18_6408_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/TBT/EEC/18_6408_01_e.pdf