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In the Republic of Finland the President is elected by direct popular vote
every six years. The single-chamber Parliament is elected every fourth year. The
Council of State together with the president administers the country.
Legislative power lies with Parliament and the President. The Council of State
is made up mainly from members of the Parliament. Finland is divided into 6
Provinces and has about 440 Municipal Councils. The Province of Åland holds
autonomous status.
Finland extends over an area of 338 000 km2 of which 68% is forest and 10% is
lakes. The total population is 5.2 million. The Greater Helsinki area, with a
population about 1 million, includes the cities of Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa.
Organisational Structure and Background
Finland can boast a long history in legal metrology, with the first unified
weights and measures requirements dating from the 13th century. The metric
system came into force in 1886 and type approval Regulations were introduced in
the 1920s.
Legal metrology in Finland is based on the Act on Weights and Measures issued in
1965, with the latest amendment in 1999. This act is supplemented by the Decree
on Weights and Measures of 1992, with the latest amendment in 2004, and also by
other regulations. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is the regulatory body for
the field of legal metrology.
TUKES (The Safety Technology Authority of Finland), which reports to the
Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for the supervision and
enforcement of legislation. As the recognised expert authority, TUKES also
coordinates with and contributes to national and international cooperation.
TUKES also provides information for consumers as well as initiating and
participating in the research on issues relating to legal metrology. Market
surveillance is carried out by TUKES working in cooperation with provincial
authorities.
Inspecta Oy performs type approvals and the majority of verifications. It also
provides calibration services. Inspecta Oy, the former Technical Inspection
Centre, was a State owned company until 2002 when it was sold to a private fund
organisation. Verifications and type approvals were opened up to competition in
1998. Competent organisations have to apply to TUKES for a permit prior to
commencing their activities. They are also regularly supervised by TUKES with
the active help of the national accreditation body, FINAS. At the time of
writing (2004) there are two competing verification companies: Inspecta Oy,
which acts as a notified body for non-automatic weighing instruments (NB0424)
and has the competence over an extensive range of verifications and type
approvals (national and EEC –type approvals). Polartest Oy is the second
verification company and its competence covers verifications of road tanks and
measuring systems for liquids other than water.
MIKES (The Centre for Metrology and Accreditation) is responsible for the
national measurement standards system. Within MIKES, there is also the
independent accreditation service, FINAS, which is intended for calibration and
testing laboratories as well as inspection and certification bodies.
Equipment Subject to National Controls
- Simple length measures (initial verification only)
- Other material measures of length
- Length measuring instruments
- Material measures of area
- Area measuring instruments
- Volume measures (only initial verification for volumes <5 L; above that
initial and periodic verification required)
- Capacity serving measures and transfer measurers
- Liquid volume metering instruments
- Petroleum
- Bulk milk Lubricating oil
- Heating oil
- Alcoholic beverages, including spirits, beer and cider
- Road tankers
- Lubrication oil meters
- Cold water meters (type approval only)
- Gas meters (type approval only)
- Electricity meters (type approval only)
- Heat meters (type approval only)
- Weights
- Non-automatic weighing instruments
- Automatic weighing instruments
- Continuous totalising instruments
- Discontinuous totalising instruments
- Gravimetric filling instruments
- Rail-weigh bridges
- Catchweighers
- Checkweigher
- Weight graders
- Weigh/price labellers and price labellers
- Instruments for measuring the hectolitre mass of cereals
- Taximeters
In most cases instruments are subject to type approval, initial verification and
mandatory reverification.
Type Approval
Type approval tasks are performed mainly by Inspecta Oy, with the exception of
taximeters, which are tested by the Finnish Vehicle Administration AKE.
Sub-contracted test laboratories, accredited according to EN45001, may perform
specific tests, such as EMC testing.
Initial Verification
Initial verification is primarily the responsibility inspection bodies licensed
by TUKES. For taximeters the task has been devolved to authorised service agents
and vehicle inspection bodies.
Inspection and Reverification
Finland operates a mandatory reverification system with intervals specified in
legislation:
meters and measuring systems for fuels 2 years
road tankers 6 years
all other instruments 3 years
Throughout Finland, there are approximately 20 verification personnel.
Annually there are about 30 000 instrument reverifications carried out.
Inspecta Oy also inspects and approves service and repair workshops, which are
permitted to seal an instrument following repair. The instrument with an
approved seal may then be used until the next reverification is due.
Directive 90/384/EEC
The Directive is implemented by the TTK-orders V10-92, V1-93, V2-93 and V1-94.
Inspecta Oy has been notified for the purposes of the Directive 90/384/EEC (NB
0424)
Instrument classes are designated for particular applications:
- class (II) instruments required in pharmacies and also in trade with precious
metals, precious stones and genuine pearls
- class (IIII) instruments are permitted for the determination of toll, freight
and transportation charges
- in other cases class (III) instruments are applied
Finland does not have defined gravity zones for weighing instruments. Verified
instruments can be moved from the intended place of use when applying the
following rules:
- class (IIII) instruments, when verified for Finland, may be moved throughout
the country
- class (III) instruments with the number of scale intervals n ≤ 3000 may be
moved at most 200 km from the intended place of use in a north-south direction
- class (III) instruments with 3000 < n ≤ 5000 may be moved at most 100 km from
the intended place of use in a north-south direction
In Inland an acceptable alternative method, which takes into account the local
gravity value, is described in the WELMEC 2 guide.
Directory Contact Pointss
Enforcement authority for Legal Metrology:
Safety Technology Authority TUKES
Chief Engineer Tuomo Valkeapää
PO Box 123 (Lönnrotinkatu 37)
FIN-00181 HELSINKI
Tel. +358 9 61671
Fax +358 9 6167590
Internet: www.tukes.fi
Type Approvals and Verifications (except taxi meters):
Development manager Jouko Roine
Head of Laboratory Ari Paajanen (NB 0424)
Inspecta Oy
PO Box 44 (Sahaajankatu 20)
FIN-00811 HELSINKI
Tel. +358 10 521 600
Fax +358 10 521 6211
Internet: www.inspecta.fi
Verification of Road tankers and Measuring instruments and systems for
liquids:
Polartest Oy
PO Box 41
FIN-01621 VANTAA
Tel. +358 9 878 020
Fax +358 9 878 6653
Internet: www.polartest.fi
Type Approval of Taxi Meters:
Ajoneuvohallintokeskus AKE (The Finnish Vehicle Administration AKE)
PO Box 120 (Fabianinkatu 32)
FIN-00101 HELSINKI
Phone +358 10 7800
Fax: +358 9 6185 3600
Internet: www.ake.fi
Updated Feburary 2005
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