The Republic of Hungary is administratively divided into 7 regions and 19
counties. Its population is 10,1 million, out of which about 2 million
inhabitants live in the capital, Budapest.
Organisational Structure and Background
The Hungarian Trade Licensing Office (MKEH) is primarily responsible for legal
metrology and acts under the management of the Minister of Economy and
Transport. The former National Office of Measures – OMH merged into the MKEH on
1 January 2007. The MKEH as a Central Office of the Hungarian government has a
broad scale of activities on the field of licensing commercial issues.
The Legal Metrological Authorities in frame of MKEH comprise 7 regional
authorities (named Legal Metrological and Technical Safety Authorities)
according the seven regions of Hungary. They carry out verification, conformity
assessment and inspection.
An other relating main task of MKEH is to maintain the national standards, their
international comparison and to provide the dissemination performed by the
Metrological Division of MKEH.
The first Hungarian law on unified weights and measures dates back to 1876
which was connected to the signing of the Metric Convention in 1875. The roles
of the predecessor of MKEH (and OMH)
are routed back its roles in legal metrology in 1907. The weights and measures
law was introduced in 1907 and was in force until 1946. Between 1946 and 1991
governmental decrees regulated the legal metrology activities. The Act on
legal Metrology (XLV/1991) has been in force since 1991 in addition with the
governmental decree 127/1991.
Equipment subject to mandatory verification
Equipments subject to mandatory verification are listed in the (several times
modified) 127/1991. governmental decree - annex 2.
I. (MID)
-
Water meters
-
Gas meters and volume conversion devices
-
Active Electrical energy meters
-
Heat meters
-
Measuring system for the continuous and dynamic measurement of quantities of
liquid other than water
-
Automatic weighing instruments
-
Taximeters
-
Material measures
-
Dimensional measuring instrument
-
Exhaust gas analysers
II. (NAWI)
-
Non-automatic weighing instruments
III. (old approach and national base)
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Weights (E1, E2, F1, F2, M1, M2, M3)
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Axle and wheel load measuring instruments for road transport
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Speedometers for traffic control
-
Tyre pressure gauges
-
Measuring devices for density determination : hydrometer for petroleum
products, alcohol, milks; pycnometer ; continuous density meter (with vibration
tube)
-
Radioactive dosimeters, medical activity measuring devices and measuring
instruments for radioactive contamination
-
Noise level meters used for environment control and industrial safety
-
Measuring transformers for current and voltage
-
Fixed storage tanks, level gauges for liquid, alcohol meters used for
determination excise duty
-
Breath alcohol analysers
-
Orifice meter systems for natural gas
-
Gambling machines
Type Approval
The Regional Legal Metrology and Technical Safety Authority, Budapest of MKEH
is responsibility for the national and old approach type approvals tests.
The EC type approval for MID and NAWI remains under the responsibility of the
Metrology Department at the headquarters in Budapest.
Initial Verification
The verification of measuring instruments is performed by verification officers
of the Regional Metrology and Technical Safety Authorities of MKEH.
The verification fees are fixed in the decree of the Minister of Economy and
Transport in agreement with the Minister of Finance.
Inspection and Reverification (Subsequent Verification)
A mandatory reverification system operates in Hungary, supplemented by random
inspection.
The verification of measuring instruments after repair and reverification are
performed by verification officers of the Regional Metrology and Technical
Safety Authorities of MKEH.
Typical reverification intervals are:
Weighing Instruments
|
2 years
|
Petrol Pumps
|
1 year
|
Domestic water meters
|
4 years
|
Domestic gas meters
|
10 years
|
Domestic electrical energy meters
|
10 years
|
The fees for reverification are the same as the ones for initial verification.
There is no procedure which permits repairers to reverify measuring instruments
following their adjustment.
Usually the maximum permissible error for reverification is the same as for
initial verification.
Legal Metrology Practitioners and Scope
Approximately 150 officers carry out verification and inspection at the
Regional Metrology and Technical Safety Authorities of MKEH. The training of
the verification officers consists a 3-months practice and a course followed by
an examination.
Most of the verifications are carried out in 160 verification laboratories which
are operated by private companies, at the presence of verification officers of
MKEH.
Approximately 30 engineers in the Metrology Department are responsible for
maintaining the national standards, their key comparisons, their dissemination
and calibrating measuring instruments. In addition, they coordinate and support
the operation of the Regional Metrology and Technical Safety Authorities, give
the course for verification officers. Furthermore, they carry out measurements
and tests for type examination and certain kind of verification in request of
the Regional Metrology and Technical Safety Authority in Budapest.
The Hungarian Trade Licensing Office (MKEH) has a Market Surveillance Department
independent from the regional authorities. Its activity does not only cover
tasks in the field of metrology (MID and NAWI), but it related to other areas
covered by new approach directives (EMC, LVD,…) too.
MKEH have a QMS system for metrology and technical safety. The metrological part
of the QMS system was certified until the end of 2007. The certification of the
whole system is planned in June 2008.
Sanctions
The fraudulent use of an instrument is dealt with by the National Consumer
Protection Authority, the police and tax inspectors. MKEH may provide expert
evidence.
In the case of traders or others using non-verified instruments, administrative
fines can be imposed by the district notary. Inspectors give warnings
which, if not acted upon, may be taken to the notary.
Fines special for legal metrology are set by a general governmental decree and
not by the metrological law or metrological decrees.
Directive 90/384/EEC NAWI
The directive was implemented on 1 May 2004 by the decree of 62/2004 of the
Minister of Economy and Transport. In 2004 the OMH was notified for EC type
examination, EC unit verification, EC verification and EC surveillance
(approval of quality system of manufactures). From 2007 the MKEH as the
legal successor of OMH maintain this notification. The conformity assessment
activity of MKEH (and OMH) especially in case of EC type examination and EC
surveillance is focused on Hungarian manufacturers.
Directive 22/2004/EEC MID
The directive was implemented by the decree of 8/2006 of the Minister of Economy
and Transport. The directive was introduced for all categories of measuring
instrument regulated by MID. In addition it was necessary to modify the list of
measuring instrument subject to mandatory verification in the governmental
decree because certain kind of measuring instrument regulated by MID were
not subject to legal metrological control before November 2006 (e.g.
multidimensional measuring instruments). MKEH is notified for all module
except H and H1 defined in MID.
Updated in April 2008
