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Circulars 1-31

CIRCULAR 6 February 1996

  1. REPORT OF THE SECOND FORUM MEETING

    The Report of the second Forum Meeting held in Beijing on 22 October is enclosed with this circular. I believe that this Report would be appropriate to be circulated to relevant officials in your department or ministries to keep them informed of developments in legal metrology in the Asia-Pacific region. Additional copies are available from the Secretariat.
  2. SURVEY ON LEGAL METROLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ASIA-PACIFIC DEVELOPING ECONOMIES

    • 2.1 The Secretariat has been successful in obtaining funding for a consultant to conduct the above technical infrastructure survey in the following nine economies:
      People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Thailand.

      The consultant is Dr. Knut Birkeland, who has recently retired as Director General of the Norwegian National Metrology Service. Dr. Birkeland was also President of the International Organisation of Legal Metrology from 1980-1994. He has a unique insight into the development of legal metrology and through the OIML Development Council, the needs of developing economies.

    • 2.2 The survey will focus particularly on the following:
      • Legislation and administration;
      • Calibration and testing; and
      • Training
        relating to trade measurement, utility metering and other legal measuring instruments;
      • The possibility of using the Internet and E-mail to link up members of the Forum in order to facilitate communication among members; and
      • The extent of accreditation of testing facilities and resources required to obtain full accreditation.

    • 2.3 The survey will be conducted during the period 28 January - 25 March 1996. A Report of the findings will be produced at the conclusion of the survey and it is expected to be circulated to members.

      A questionnaire survey and an article entitled "Legal Metrology Facing the Future" has been included with this Circular.
  3. WORKING PARTIES
    • 3.1 A draft outline of the scope, objectives and target outcomes of the various working parties is given in the Appendices. It would be appreciated if members send any comments they may have to the Secretariat for inclusion. The Working Parties are:

      • Legislative harmonization
      • Requirements for prepacked articles
      • Training
      • Intercomparison on mass standards, non-automatic weighing instruments and load cells
      • Utility Meters
      • Mutual Recognition Agreements.

    • 3.2 Working Party on Mutual Recognition Agreements and Utility Meters
      We have received response from some member economies on participation in the above two Working Parties, however we request that those economies who have not yet responded to do so.

    • 3.3 In Circular 5, members were requested to indicate whether they would like to accept responsibility for chairing the Working Parties. We have not received any positive response as yet and we would like to request that each member economy consider the issue again. As stated in the Circular, the Chair of the Working Party will be expected to chair meetings when held and to present the Working Party Report at Forum meetings. The Forum secretariat will continue to provide the secretariat support for each Working Party.

    • 3.4 Linking of Idntercomparison Testing between Regions
      The last APLMF meeting in Beijing had discussed the development of linkages with other regional legal metrology bodies, in particular that with the European Union, and noted that such linkages would be significant for the achievement of global harmonisation.

      We have received response from WELMEC (European Cooperation in Legal Metrology) that both Germany (PTB) and the United Kingdom (NWML) would participate in the intercomparison of Non-automatic Weighing Instruments and Load Cells.

  4. SURVEY REPORTS

    The Secretariat is finalising the Reports for the surveys on Legislative Harmonisation, Requirements for Prepacked Articles, and Training and would request those member economies who have not yet sent their responses to do so as soon as possible.

  5. FOURTH FORUM MEETING 1997

    There has been a mixed response to the enquiry on the venue of the fourth Forum meeting, with one suggestion of Brazil (Rio de Janiero) and another suggestion of Hawaii, San Francisco and Rio de Janiero (in that order of preference). The Convenor would appreciate members views on the options listed in Circular 5, and any other suggestions.
  6. NEWS ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM MEMBER ECONOMIES

    The Secretariat would appreciate receiving any news items from member economies. These news items could be matters relating to the development of metrology and associated technical infrastructure, reorganisation, legislative amendments or any other news of interest to other member economies. These news items would be circulated through the Circulars and in this way, members would be kept abreast of developments in Asia-Pacific economies.

APPENDIX
WORKING PARTY ON LEGISLATIVE HARMONISATION

SCOPE:

It has been recognised that harmonisation of legislative measurement requirements is fundamental to the removal of technical barriers to trade. The Working Party on Legislative Harmonisation covers the identification of laws and regulations enacted in the economies of the Asia-Pacific including a comparative analysis of similarities and differences.

OBJECTIVES:

To ensure the harmonisation of legislative measurement requirements in Asia-Pacific economies with a view to minimising differences in legislative requirements and the removal of technical barriers to trade.

TARGET OUTCOMES:

  • A survey and analysis report of the legislative measurement requirements of Asia-Pacific economies;
  • Translation of legislation into English for those economies whose legislation is not in English.

WORKING PARTY ON REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPACKED ARTICLES

The Working Party on Prepacked Articles was established at the inaugural APLMF meeting held in Sydney in November 1994. It is recognised that there has been a great expansion in the quantity of goods that are packaged and measured before sale. The basic trade measurement principle is that these goods should meet similar requirements to goods measured at the time of sale, such as no short measure, identification of the packer on the packet, standard sizes, permitted deficiencies, drained weight and deceptive packaging, all of which may constitute technical barriers to trade.
SCOPE
The Working Party on Requirements for Prepacked Articles covers the identification of the different requirements for prepacked articles, such as no short measure, identification of the packer on the packet, standard sizes, permitted deficiencies, drained weight and deceptive packaging.
OBJECTIVES
To harmonise the different requirements for prepacked articles in the Asia-Pacific economies with a view to removing technical barriers to trade.
TARGET OUTCOMES
  • A survey and analysis report of the prepacked articles requirements and legislations in the Asia-Pacific economies;
  • Uniform and harmonised requirements for prepacked articles in the Asia-Pacific economies.

WORKING PARTY ON TRAINING


The Working Party on Training was established at the inaugural APLMF meeting held in Sydney in November 1994. Training has been identified as an important program element, and regional metrology organisations support training as an important pre-requisite for developing regional confidence in measurement and testing.
SCOPE:
The Working Party on Training covers the identification of the need for training, the types of training courses available, their coverage and the facilities and resources available to support training programs in Asia-Pacific economies.
OBJECTIVES:
To develop and upgrade the skills competency of those involved in metrological measurement and testing through the development of training.
TARGET OUTCOMES:
  • A survey and analysis report of the training requirements and availability in member economies of the Asia-Pacific region;
  • Development of regional training programs and staff exchange among member economies.

WORKING PARTY ON INTERCOMPARISON

SCOPE:
The Working Party on Intercomparison covers the intercomparisons on mass, non-automatic weighing instruments and load cells. The scope of this APLMF laboratory intercomparison is to provide a transparent basis for the comparability and traceability of mass measurements, pattern evaluation of non-automatic weighing instruments and load cells, carried out by legal metrology authorities in the Asia-Pacific region. It is expected that these results will make a significant contribution to mutual recognition agreements between participating members.
OBJECTIVES:
To develop confidence in the capability and equipment of the laboratories which carry out pattern evaluation testing in member economies of the Asia-Pacific region.
TARGET OUTCOMES:
  • A report of the interlaboratory comparison among participating Asia-Pacific member economies;
  • Development of mutual recognition agreements in member economies of the Asia-Pacific region.

WORKING PARTY ON UTILITY METERS


The Working Party on Utility Meters was established at the second Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum meeting held in Beijing on 22 October 1995. Utility meters comprise a range of measuring instruments that are used for trade and these include water meters, gas meters, electricity meters, taxi meters, telephone meters and parking meters. There is a need to ensure that measurements made by these instruments are accurate and traceable, as these measuring instruments may not be covered under trade measurement legislation in some member economies. The Working Party aims to identify the usage of, and requirements for, utility meters in Asia-Pacific economies with the view of harmonisation and uniformity of utility meters usage in the region.
SCOPE:
The Working Party on Utility Meters covers utility meters such as water meters, gas meters, electricity meters, taxi meters, telephone meters and parking meters.
OBJECTIVES:
To ensure that measurement relating to utility meters, namely water meters, gas meters, electricity meters, taxi meters, telephone meters and parking meters, are harmonised within the Asia-Pacific region.
TARGET OUTCOMES:
  • A survey and analysis on the extent of metrological control of utility meters in Asia-Pacific economies;
  • Uniform and harmonised requirements for utility meters in the APEC economies;
  • The introduction and recommendation of pattern approval, verification and reverification of utility meters.

WORKING PARTY ON MUTUAL RECOGNITION ARRANGEMENTS


The harmonisation of legislative and technical metrological requirements leading to the removal of technical barriers to trade is a major focus of the Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum.
SCOPE
The Working Party on Mutual recognition will identify the requirements for maintaining mutual confidence between legal metrology authorities in the region and other regional legal metrology bodies.
OBJECTIVES
To harmonise legislative and technical requirements and develop confidence in calibration of standards and testing of measuring instruments.
TARGET OUTCOMES
To develop the elements of a mutual recognition agreement on acceptance of pattern approval test reports and certificates and other legal measurements.