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Italy is a Republic headed by a President appointed by
Parliament and has a population of 57.3 million. For administrative purposes
the country is divided into 20 Regions (Regioni), 95 Provinces (Provincie) and
some 8000 local Municipalities (Comuni). For identification purposes each
province is given an abbreviation eg TO for Torino (Turin), MI=Milano (Milan),
FI=Firenze (Florence). The territory of each Italian province (which are
roughly equivalent to counties in the UK) contains two separate
administrations. One is the local representative government, which undertakes
certain functions specifically entrusted to it by law, and the other is a
decentralised unit of the central government. Regions are headed by a
Commissioner appointed by Central Government and a locally elected President.
In addition to enforcing national laws the Regional councils also have some
legislative powers.
Italy became a Republic with the adoption of a new constitution in 1948. The
Provincie and Comuni both have directly elected councils, an executive board
and a President or, Mayor. The latter is constitutionally an officer of the
central government and accordingly has certain consumer protection functions as
well as responsibility for publishing laws, regulations and other State
pronouncements. Total land area of Italy is approximately 300,000 sq km.
Law 1987 No. 183 on the coordination of enforcement of EU legislation in the
Italian national legal system requires the Prime Minister or the Minister for
Community Policy to notify Parliament and the Regions of new Directives within
30 days of their adoption. This notification also applies to regions with
special status: Friuli-Venezia Giula, Sardegna, Sicilia, Trentino-Alto Adige
and Valle D'aosta. The Government must inform Parliament about the
compatibility of the Directives with Italian law within 90 days. The Minister
for Community Policy must present the new law to Parliament before 31 January
for ratification by 1 March each year. The Regions with special status and the
cities of Trento and Bolzano may adopt new EC Directives immediately as
published in the Official journal. Where Directives have not been implemented
by the Regions or autonomous cities the Government can set up a Commission
consisting of three members which can under Prime Ministerial responsibility
exercise the powers normally vested in the relevant Ministry.
Organisational Structure and Background
Legal metrology in Italy is primarily a central government
responsibility. The Ufficio Centrale
Metrico (UCM), Central Metrology Section, is one of twelve divisions of the
Direzione Cenerale del Commercio Interno e dei Consumi Industria-li (DC) del
Ministero Industria e Commercio. The DC is one of several in the Ministry.
UCM's full title is 'Ufficio Centrale Metrico e del Saggio dei Metalli Preziosi
reflecting its dual metrology and assaying functions. In addition to its
headquarters in Rome, where primary standards are maintained, the UCM has
sub-offices in each of the 95 Provincie (Uffici Provinciali Metrici). These
sub-offices report back through larger offices in the principal towns or cities
of the 20 Regioni.
Inspection duties, and the investigation of offences, are often performed by
the Police. The Prefetture of the Ministero dell' Interno has an office in each
of the 95 Provincie and the local Prefetto (prefect) has responsibility for the
provincial coordination of the metrological functions performed by the
Carabinieri, the Agenti di Polizia and the Vigili Urbani.
The Italian legal metrology system dates back to that instituted in the
Kingdom in 1870. The basic law "Regio Decreto 23 agosto 1890" still
forms the basic framework of control.
Equipment Subject to National Controls
- Simple length measures in trade use
- Non-liquid volume measures
- Liquid volume measures
- Dipsticks
- Medium accuracy weights in trade use
- Liquid volume metering instruments
- Petroleum
- Liquefied petroleum gas
- Bulk milk
- Lubricating oil
- Heating oil
- Cold water meters (type approval and initial verification) (not mandatory)
- Gas volume meters (type approval and initial verification)
- Electricity meters (type approval and initial verification) (not mandatory)
- Non-automatic weighing instruments
- Self-indicating
- Non self-indicating
- Automatic weighing instruments
- Discontinuous totalising
- Continuous totalising (beltweighers)
- Gravimetric filling
- Rail weighbridges
- Catch weighers
- Checkweighers
- Weight graders
- Weigh/price labeller and weigh labeller
- Medical measuring instruments
- Road traffic instruments
- Tyre pressure gauges (type approval and initial verification) (not
mandatory)
- Law enforcement instruments
- Depth gauges for liquids for tax purposes
- Measuring instruments for grading cereals
- Warm water meters (type approval and initial verification) (not mandatory)
Type Approval
Type approval is a function of
UCM. It has a staff of 15 inspectors.
The Comitato Centrale Metrico appraises and comments upon all type approval
proposals. It may also make recommendations to UCM. UCM will use external
laboratories to perform type testing on its behalf if it does not have
sufficient facilities itself. In such cases tests are carried out in those
laboratories in the presence of a UCM or Officio Provinciale Metrico inspector.
UCM has no plans to extend its facilities. Type approval fees are set by law.
Certificates are published only in Italian. The most numerous national type
approval certificates are issued for non-automatic weighing instruments,
followed by liquid volume metering instruments other than water and gas meters.
Initial Verification
The 179 inspectors of the 95 Uffici Provinciali Metrici are
responsible for all initial verification. There is no system of accredited
laboratory verification but a decree for manufacturer self-declaration of
conformity for instruments subject to national type approvals other than for
chronotachographs is in preparation. Fees are stipulated in law and available
from bookshops selling government publications.
Inspection and Reverification
A mandatory verification system operates with reverification
intervals specified in law:
| trade weights |
2 years |
| weighing instruments in trade use |
2 years |
| petrol pumps |
2 years |
The function is performed by the Uffici Provinciali Metrici.
In 1991 400,000 non-automatic weighing instruments were reverified, 5%
failing. About 100,000 petrol pumps were subject to reverification in the same
period with a 7% failure rate. Normal error allowances are mpe x 1 (mpe x 2 for
instruments subject to 90/384/EEC).
Police officers will randomly inspect weighing and measuring equipment but
play no part in the reverification process.
Legal Metrology Practitioners
The 15 inspectors performing type approval work at
UCM will generally be degree qualified
in science or engineering. They receive 6 months formal training on entry
followed by an examination at UCM.
The inspectors in the Uffici Provinciali Metrici will normally have a
superior college diploma. They also receive 6 months training at UCM followed
by an examination. Inspectors are sent to a provinical office nominated by the
DC. No quality assurance training is yet received.
Inspectors are generally constrained to the inspection and verification of
metrological equipment. They are however responsible for system approval and
monitoring under average quantity prepackages legislation.
Sanctions
Administrative fines may be imposed in minor cases involving
the use of equipment outside tolerances. In such cases the inspector may
prepare a report for his provincial office and decide on the level of penalty
appropriate. The trader would pay such an amount into a post office for onward
transmission to the Ministry of Finance. The inspector may also impose fines
for prepackages found outside T2. Penalties imposed by inspectors in, for
example, the absence of evidence of mandatory reverification or required seals
will range from 5000 Lira to 50,000 Lira.
Equipment may be confiscated when found unverified or unsealed or when found
to exceed mpe x 2. Additionally if the trader fails to comply with an order
from the inspector for the instrument to be repaired the instrument may be
seized.
It is possible for an inspector to initiate a court prosecution. However,
such cases are normally only reserved for those involving the fraudulent use of
equipment.
Directive 90/384/EEC
The Directive was implemented by Decree No. 517 December 29
1992. The notified body for type approval is the Direzione Generale del
Commerico Intemo e dei Consumi industriali del Ministero Industria e Commercio
- Ufficio Centrale Metrico. The
notified bodies for EC verification are the 95 Uffici Provinciali Metrici. The
question of gravity values is to be regulated by decree.
The Decree of December 29 1992 makes it an offence to use an instrument
outside of its marked weighing range. It does not designate instrument classes
to be used for particular applications. In current Italian national law there
are such requirements but they are not within the competence of the UCM or
regional offices, for example butchers shops and delicatessen must use
instruments with a verification scale interval (e)- 2g, bakers shops (e)-5g.
Italy's national accreditation scheme is still in draft stage. No decisions
have yet been made on implementation of the manufacturer declaration of
conformity provisions of the Directive so far as UCM and provincial office
inspector involvement is concerned. UCM however will not be responsible for
EN29000 systems approval.
Updated March 2003
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