. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/EU/24 
27 February 2012  
 (12-1112) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local governme nt 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:  mailto:eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
Website:  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Measuring instruments 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Proposal for a Directive 
of the European Parliament and of the C ouncil on the harmonisation of the laws of the 
Member States relating to making available on the market of measuring instruments 
(COM(2011)769) (193 pages, in En glish, French and Spanish). 
6. Description of content:  The proposal is part of a package of proposals aligning nine product 
directives to Decision No 768/2008/EC establ ishing a common framework for the marketing 
of products.  
In this context, the proposal modifies a number of definitions which are commonly used 
throughout European Union harmoni sation legislation in order to harmonise their meaning 
throughout that legislation. It clarifies the obligations of manufact urers and authorised 
representatives and introduces obligatio ns for importers and distributors. 
Directive 2004/22/EC has selected the appropria te conformity assessment procedures which 
manufacturers have to apply in order to demonstrate that thei r measuring instruments comply 
with the essential requirements. The proposal  aligns these procedures to their updated 
versions set out in the Decision No 768/2008/EC. It  also keeps some sector specific elements 
already provided for in Directive 2004/22/EC such  as the mandatory metrology M marking in 
addition to the CE marking. The proposal rein forces the notification criteria for notified 
bodies. The proposal revises the existing safeguard clause procedure in line with the Decision. G/TBT/N/EU/24 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  The 
proposal aims to align Directive 2004/22/EC to Decision No 768/2008/EC and therefore to 
strengthen and complete the existing rules an d to improve practical aspects of their 
application and enforcement. It will thus increase safety and consumer protection  
8. Relevant documents:   Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 31 March 2004 on measuring instruments (OJ L 135, 30.4.2004, p. 1- 80) 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=OJ :L:2004:135:0001:0080:EN:PDF  
Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parlia ment and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a 
common framework for the marketing of pr oducts, and repealing Council Decision 
93/465/EEC (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 82 - 128) 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=OJ :L:2008:218:0082:0128:EN:PDF  
Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 
setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the 
marketing of products and repe aling Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 
30 - 47) (New Legislative Framework) (No tified under reference G/TBT/N/EEC/152) 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=OJ :L:2008:218:0030:0047:EN:PDF  
New Legislative Framework for ma rketing of products - website 
"http://ec.europa.eu/enterpris e/policies/single-m arket-goods/regulat ory-policies-common-
rules-for-products/new-legis lative-framework/index_en.htm " 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    End of 2012 
20 days from publication in  the Official Journal 
of the EU (about a month after adoption 
approx.).  Applicable 2 years after adoption. 
10. Final date for comments:  90 days from date of notification. 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [  ], or address, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:    
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  + (32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  mailto:eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EU-TBT Website:  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/   
and at 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0769:FIN:EN:PDF  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0769:FIN:FR:PDF  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L exUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0769:FIN:ES:PDF  
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2012/tbt/EEC/12_0751_00_e.pdf