Country Information

The Government Office of the Capital City Budapest (Budapest Főváros Kormányhivatala - BFKH) has a broad scale of activities on governmental legal administration. The Metrological and Technical Supervisory Department acts as National Metrology Institute (NMI) and it is responsible for legal and scientific metrology under the management of the Minister for National Economy. The former National Office of Measures (OMH) merged into the Hungarian Trade Licensing Office (MKEH) on 1 January 2007, and on 1 January 2017 MKEH merged into BFKH.

There are 13 regional Legal Metrological sections working in the government offices. They carry out verifications and inspections.

One of the main tasks of BFKH is to maintain the national standards, their international comparisons and to provide the dissemination performed by the Metrological and Technical Supervisory Department.

The first Hungarian law on unified weights and measures dates back to 1876 which was connected to the signing of the Metre Convention in 1875. The roles of the predecessor of BFKH, 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 Metrology (XLV/1991) has been in force since 1991 in addition with the governmental decree 127/1991.

Measuring instruments subject to mandatory verification according to the 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 instruments
• Exhaust gas analysers

II. NAWI

• Non-automatic weighing instruments

III. Old approach and national base

• Weights (E1, E2, F1, F2, M1, M2, M3)
• Axle and wheel load measuring instruments for road transport
• Speedometers for traffic control
• Tyre pressure gauges
• Measuring devices for density determination: hydrometer for petroleum products, alcohol, milks; pycnometers; continuous density meters (with vibration tube)
• Radioactive dosimeters 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

All the metrological type approvals and the EU type examinations are carried out by the Metrological and Technical Supervisory Department of BFKH.

The verifications of measuring instruments are performed by verification officers of the Legal Metrology sections of the government offices or verification officers of the BFKH.

A mandatory reverification system operates in Hungary.

The verification of measuring instruments after repair and reverification are performed by verification officers of the Legal Metrology sections of the government offices.

Typical reverification intervals are:

• Weighing Instruments: 2 years
• Petrol Pumps: 1 year
• Domestic water meters: 8 years
• Domestic gas meters:10 years
• Domestic electrical energy meters:10 years

Usually, the maximum permissible error for reverification is the same as for initial verification.

Approximately 150 officers carry out verification and inspection. The training of the verification officers consists of a 3-month practice and a course followed by an examination.

Most of the verifications are carried out in approximately 100 verification laboratories which are operated by private companies, at the presence of verification officers.

Approximately 50 engineers in the Metrological and Technical Supervisory 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 Legal Metrology sections of the government offices, give the course for verification officers. Furthermore, they carry out measurements and tests for type examination and certain kind of verification.

Government Office of the Capital City Budapest Metrological and Technical Supervisory Department has a QMS according to ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17065 standards.

The fraudulent use of an instrument is dealt with by the BFKH Consumer Protection Department, the police and tax inspectors. BFKH Metrological and Technical Supervisory Department 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.

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 and from 2017 the BFKH as the legal successor of MKEH is the Notified Body continuously.

The directives were implemented in 2016 by the decrees of 19/2016 (NAWID) and 43/2016 (MID) of the Ministry for National Economy.

No formal gravity zones exist in Hungary.

Remarks: Hungary is a small flat land, therefore in most cases there isn't a big difference between gravity:

• the verification for accuracy class III and IIII is valid throughout the country
• the verification for accuracy class II valid in the town or village
• the verification for accuracy class I is valid only in actual place of use