Greece is a republic with a population of 10 million. The
President is elected by a single chamber Parliament. Legislative power rests
with Parliament but some rules are by Presidential or Ministerial decree. The
country is divided into 53 'Nomi' (prefectures or districts) which carry the
administrative burden for the government. There are also 256 'Demi' (urban
councils) and 5795 'Koinotites' (rural councils). Enforcement is the
responsibility of various Ministerial Directorates operating through each of
the Nomi or Nomarchia although in the less densely populated areas they may
only be a sub-section. Ministries have an enforcement and legislative function
with a central department coordinating and directing officers in each Nomos. In
certain circumstances Market Police or 'Agoranomias' under the Ministry of
Public Order will assist other departmental staff and take cases to court. The
country covers a land area of 132,000 sq km.
Organisational Structure and Background
The legal metrology function in Greece is a central government
one. The Department of Metrology is part of the Ministry of Development and is
competent for legal metrological issues. The maintenance of standards and
national units of measurement will be the task of the "Hellenic Institute
of Metrology" which has been currently established by national
legislation. The Department of Metrology devolves its inspection and
verification function to the Nomoi ie the local authority districts, each of
which has a local inspection office, and to the Market Police of those
authorities. The Department provides the country's type approval function and
has a small laboratory which ensures that instruments submitted for type
approval comply with legal requirements. Additionally it seeks to ensure that
the local authorities have suitable standards of length, weight and capacity to
enable them to properly perform their initial and periodical inspection
functions.
The Department of Metrology was set up in 1959 when Greece adopted the
international system of measurements. The government is endeavouring to improve
the country's measurement capability by the improvement of existing
laboratories and construction of new facilities.
Equipment Subject to National Controls
- Simple length measures (no type approval)
- Area measuring instruments (no type approval)
- Liquid volume measures
- Weights
- Liquid volume metering instruments
- Petroleum
- Liquefied petroleum gas
- Lubricating oil
- Heating oil
- Cold water meters (type approval only)
- Non-automatic weighing instruments
- Self-indicating
- Non self-indicating
- Road traffic measuring instruments
- Taximeters (type approval only)
Type Approval
The Department of Metrology is responsible for all type
approvals work. It's facilities are limited however and it cannot perform the
full range of tests necessary to provide a comprehensive type approvals service
for a broad range of instruments. Plans are therefore proposed to expand and
update the Department's facilities. As a first step towards realisation of
those plans, equipment for carrying out some type approval tests of
non-automatic weighing instruments will have been made available by the
beginning of 1995.
Fees are determined by the Minister of Commerce. In the past two years the
Department has issued 17 type approvals for petrol pumps and 3 for taximeters.
It has not issued any EEC type approvals. All approvals are published only in
Creek.
Initial Verification
Initial verification is a function of the Market Police who
report through the District Local Inspection Offices. Verification fees are set
by Ministerial decision. Equipment manufacturers in Greece tend to be small
companies and there is no pressure for them to acquire EN 29000 certification
to facilitate self declaration of conformity. Equipment manufacturers in Greece
tend to be small companies and there is no pressure or intention for them to
acquire EN29000 certification to facilitate self-declaration of conformity.
Inspectors have no quality assurance experience and training.
Inspection and Reverification
Instruments are generally subject to annual reverification by
the Police and the District Local Authorities. A fee is charged. A random
inspection policy also applies, performed by the same organisations. Cold
water, gas and electricity meters are inspected and reverified by the
utilities. Annual numbers of non- automatic weighing instruments inspected
total 120,000 with a rejection rate of 5%. A similar 5% failure rate applies to
the 30,000 petrol pumps inspected each year. The error allowance is generally
mpe x 2. Reverification fees are less than those for initial verification.
Legal Metrology Practitioners and Scope
The Department of Metrology employs 10 technical officers all
with an engineering or science degree. The 53 officials in each of the District
Local Inspection Offices are similarly qualified. There is no similar
requirement for Market Police Inspectors. All those engaged in inspection and
verification are provided with two weeks course training by the Department.
No staff have yet been trained in quality assurance. The Department proposes
to send selected staff for such training to other European countries.
The scope of service provided by inspection officials is limited only to
instrument inspection and reverification. They may act upon consumer complaints
about instruments and may advise traders if requested.
Sanctions
Administrative fines may be imposed upon any trader using an
instrument fraudulently or outside permitted tolerances. The amount of fine is
decided by the Prefecturer of each region, Nomoi. Additionally or alternatively
a trader may be prosecuted and brought before a court by the inspecting Police
officer. If an instrument is found to be used fraudulently more than once, the
premises may be closed down for up to 30 days. Instruments may be seized and
forfeited by inspectors if found outside tolerances or used for fraud.
Written warnings are not usual. Maximum penalties are 33,000 ECU.
Directive 90/384/EEC
The Directive was implemented in Greece by Ministerial Decision
F2-376/93. We do not intend to nominate notified bodies for type approval in
the near future as demand from manufacturers is low. It is anticipated that
initial verification bodies will be notified to the Commission for the purposes
of the Directive.
No gravity zones have yet been identified. Research is however, being
conducted by the National Geographical Institute. There are no requirements
concerning designated classes of instrument for particular applications. The
Creek Decision does not make it an offence to use a non-automatic weighing
instrument outside its marked weighing range.
The Department of Metrology does not envisage any manufacturers in Greece
seeking to be approved for self-declaration of conformity. The National Council
of Accreditation was recently set up and will be competent for the national
accreditation scheme and QA certifications.
Updated March 2003
|
