CELEX: 51988PC0751
Language: en
Date: 1988-12-15
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE amending Directive 80/181/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to units of measurement (presented by the Commission)

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COM (88) 751
Vol. 1988/0247
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                 COM ( 88 ) 751 final - SYN 171
                                                 Brussels , 15 December 1988
                                 Proposai for a
                               COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
 amending Directive 80 / 181 / EEC on the approximation of the laws of the
             Member States relating to units of measurement
                      ( presented by the Commission )
                                         V                         f - i
                                        'A             –         /./
                                       \ V\ V-'<V '          . ' . A/
 ---pagebreak---                                                       Ce^ 8-Î1
                          Explanatory Memorandum
1.    Introduction
      This proposal for a Council Directive modifies Council
      Directive 80 / 181 / EEC concerning the approximation of the
      laws of the Member States relating to units of measurement .
      This proposal for a directive fixes the units of legal
      measurement which must be used to express quantities , the
      measuring instruments used , the measurements carried out
      and the indications of quantity expressed in units of
      measurement , for economic , public health , public safety or
      administrative purposes .
      It is based on Article 100 A of the Treaty .
2.    Subjeot of the proposai
2.1   Units of measurement     in the imperial system
      The Act of Accession of the United Kingdom , Denmark and
      Ireland in 1972 modified Directive 71 / 354 / EEC relating to
      units of measurement ^ in order to add almost 45 units of
      measurement from the imperial system . That Directive was
      subsequently amended by Council Directive 76 / 770 / EEC3 and
      replaced by Council Directive 80 / 181 / EEC .
      In this last Directive the imperial system units of
      measurement were grouped together in Chapter III of the
      Annex and reduced from 45 to 17 .
1   OJ n° L 39 of 15.2.1980 , p. 40
2   OJ n° L 243 Of 29.10.1971 , p. 29
3   OJ n° L 262 Of 29.6.1976 , p. 204
 ---pagebreak---                              2
Furthermore , this Directive in Article 1(c ) envisages that
the Commission will present a proposal for a directive to
the Council concerning imperial units , so that the Council
might reach a decision before 31 December 1989 .
In order to meet this obligation the Commission proposes to
phase out gradually the use of the imperial system units set
out in Chapter III of the Annex so that :
   those listed in Chapter II , allowable only for particular
   uses ( e.g. , road traffic signs ), will be authorized in
   the United Kingdom and Ireland until a date to be fixed
   by these Member States ;
   those listed in Chapter III will no longer be used beyond
   31 December 1994 ; and
   those listed in Chapter IV , allowable only in specialized
   domains ( e.g. maritime navigation ), will no longer be
   used beyond 31 December 1899 .
Furthermore , it is proposed to add in Chapter I among those
measurements with a specific use ( section 4 ), the " Troy
ounce ", which is a unit of measurement universally used in
international commerce in precious metals .
 ---pagebreak---                              - 3 -
Suppl emen t a r y indications
Article 3 , paragraph 1 , establishes that there will be a
supplementary indication where a unit in Chapter I of the
annex to Directive 80 / 181 / EEC is accompanied by one or more
indication expressed in units not contained in that Chapter .
Paragraphs 2 and 5 of the same Article , while authorizing
the use of supplementary indications until 31 December 1989 ,
indicate that the use of such may be extended beyond that
date .
In order to take into account the difficulties encountered
in doing away with existing customs concerning the use of
supplementary indications it is proposed to fix 31 December
1999 as the date beyond which their use will no longer be
authorized .
 ---pagebreak---                                                  2
                                        Proposai for a
                                      COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
             amending Directive 80 / 181 / EEC on the approximation of the laws
                   of the Member States relating to units of measurement
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community , and in particular Article 100a thereof ,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission , (■ 1 )
In cooperation with the European Parliament ,^)
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee , ( 3 )
                                           (4)
Whereas Council Directive 80 / 181 / EEC       , as amended by Directive
85 / l / EEC ( 5 ) provides that a definitive date be fixed for the legal
use of the Imperial units of measurement listed in Chapter III of
the Annex thereto ;      whereas for some Imperial units and for specific uses ,
it has appeared necessary to allow the Member States concerned to
fix the appropriate date until which those units are legal units of
measurement ;
( 1 ) OJ No C
( 2 ) OJ No C
( 3 ) OJ No C
( 4 ) OJ No L 39 , 15.2.1980 , p. 40 .
( 5 ) OJ No L 2 , 3.1.1985 , p. 11 .
                                                                                 b
 ---pagebreak---                                               3
Whereas the troy ounce is the specific unit universally used for
bullion dealing ; whereas it is therefore necessary to include it in
Chapter I Section 4 of the Annex for this specific use only ;
Whereas Article 3 of Directive 80 / 181 / EEC           allows  new  final
dates to be set for the use of supplementary indications ;
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :
                                         Article 1
Directive 80 / 181 / EEC is hereby amended as follows :
1.   In Article 1 , points ( b ) and ( c ) are replaced by the following :
    "( b ) those listed in Chapter II of the Annex only in those Member
           States where they were authorized on 21 April 1973 and until
           a date to be fixed by those Member States ;
     (c)   those listed in Chapter III of the Annex only in those
           Member States where they were authorized on 21 April 1973
           and until a date to be fixed by those Member States . This
           date may not be later than 31 December 1994 ;
      (d ) those listed in Chapter IV of the Annex only in those Member
           States where they were authorized on 21 April 1973 and until
           a date to be fixed by those Member States . This date may not
           be later than 31 December 1999 ."
                                                                           I/'
 ---pagebreak--- 2.   In Artide 3 :
          in paragraph 2, " 31 December 1989 " is replaced by " 31 December 1999 ;
          paragraph 5 is deleted .
3.   In Article 5 , "1 March 1974 " is replaced by " 15 May 1983 ".
4.   In Article 6 the second paragraph is deleted .
5.   The Annex is amended in accordance with the Annex hereto .
                                    Artide 2
Member States shall bring into force the laws , regulations and administrative
provisions necessary to comply with this Directive on 1 July 1990 . They shall
forthwith inform the Commission thereof .
                                    Article 3
This Directive is addressed to the Member States .
Done at                                                   For the Counci l
 ---pagebreak---                                        ANNEX
  The Annex to Directive 80 / 181 / EEC is hereby amended as follows ;
  l.a )     In Chapter I , Section 4 the following is added to the table :
   и
                                                Unit
       Quantity        Name          Symbol               Value
       Mass of      Troy ounce       oz tr      1 oz tr = 31-10 X 10-3kg
       bullion
       b)   The note is hereby replaced by the following :
            " The prefixes and their symbols listed in 1.3 may be used in
              conjunction with the above units and symbols , with the
              exception of the millimetre of mercury and the troy ounce
              and their symbols . The multiple of 102a is , however , called
              a 'hectare' ."
    2.    Chapter II is replaced by the following text :
     "                                CHAPTER II
                     Legal units of measurements , referred to in
                   Article 1(b ), permitted for specific uses only
 Field of                                        UNIT
 annlication             Anriroximate value                               Symbol
 Road traffic            Mile            1 mile = 1 609 m                 mile
 signs , distance        Yard            1 yd    = 0-9144 m               yd     !
 and speed               Foot            1 ft    = 0-3048 m               ft
 measurement             Inch            1 in    = 2-54 x 10~ 2m          in
                                                                                 1
 Dispense of             Pint            1 pt = 0-5683 X 10“ 3m3          pt
 draught beer &                                                                  i
 cider ; milk                                                                    !
                                                                                 ;
 in returnable
 containers                                                                      !
                                                                                 j
                                                                                 1
 Land regist-            Acre            1 ac = 4047 m2                   PI n
 ration
Until the date to be fixed under Article 1(b ) the units listed in
Chapter II may be combined with each other or with those in
Chapter I to form compound units ."
                                                                                   ?
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 6 -
3.  Chapter IV , as given below , is added :
                                    CHAPTER IV
                   Legal units of measurements , referred to in
               Article 1(d ), permitted in specialized fields only
 Field of                                    UNIT
 application              Name          Approximate value           Symbol
 Marine navig-        Fathom         1 fm   = 1 · 829 m             fm
 ation
 Beer , cider ,       Pint           1 pt = 0-5683 X 10 “ 3m3       pt
 waters , lemon-      Fluid ounce    1 fl oz = 28-41 X 10~6m3       fl.oz
 ades δ? fruit
 juices in ret-
 urnable con­
 tainers
 Goods sold           Ounce          1 oz = 28-35 X 10 " 3 kg       oz
 loose from           ( avoir-
 bulk                 dupois )
                      Pound          1 lb =   0-4536 kg             lb
 Gas supply           Therm          1 therm = 105-506 x 106J       therm
Until the date to be fixed under Article 1(d ), the units listed in
Chapter IV may be combined with each other or with those in
Chapter I to form compound units . "
                                                                             2
                                                                           *7
 ---pagebreak---             FICHE D' IMPACT SUR LA COMPETITIVITE ET L' EMPLOI
   Proposition de directive portant modification de la directive
           80 / 181 / CEE du Conseil concernant le rapprochement
              des législations des Etats membres relatives
                              aux unités de mesure
I.    Quelle est la Justification principale de la mesure ?
      La proposition de directive modifiant la directive
      80 / 181 / CEE concernant le rapprochement des législations des
      Etats membres relatives aux unités de mesure vise à protéger
      le consommateur par l' assurance de la plus grande clarté
      possible dans l' utilisation des unités de mesure qui sont
      indispensables pour tout instrument de mesure , pour
      l' expression de tout mesurage effectué et pour toute
      indication de grandeur dans le circuit économique , dans les
      domaines de la santé et de la sécurité publiques , ainsi que
      les opérations à caractère administratif .
      La modification concerne les unités du système impérial et
      l' emploi des indications supplémentaires .
II .  Caractéristiques des entreprises concernées . En particulier
           Y a - t - il un grand nombre de PME ,
      Les unités de mesure du système impérial ainsi que
      l' utilisation d' unités de mesure complémentaires touchent
      toutes les entreprises petites , moyennes et grandes qui
      utilisent ces unités dans la fabrication d' instruments de
      mesure ou dans le conditionnement de produits .
 ---pagebreak---                                   2
      -  Note t' on des concentrations dans des régions
         -   éligibles aux aides régionales des Etats membres ?
             non
         -   éligibles au FEDER ?
             non
III . Quelles sont les obligations Imposées directement aux
      Seules les unités de mesure indiquées dans la directive
      doivent être utilisées dans la Communauté .
IV .
      aucune
VI .  Quel est l' effet prévisible ?
         sur la compétitivité des entreprises
         aucun
         sur l' emploi ?
         aucun
VII . Les partenaires sociaux ont-ils été consultés ?
      La proposition a été soumise à l' avis du groupe de travail
      ad hoc .