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Notice to inspection bodies in the field of measuring instruments

Notices

The Ministry of Finance and Economy, MFE (currently Ministry of Economy), as the ministry in charge of authorising companies and other legal entities to perform verification of measuring instruments informed the Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS) by means of internal memo No. 011-00-145/2013-33 of 19th June 2013 about the following:

  • the measuring instruments not referred to in Article 2 of the Regulation on the Types of Measuring Instruments Requiring Mandatory Verification and on Time Intervals of Their Periodic Verification (Official Gazette of the RS No. 49/10) cannot be verified or inspected as per the valid metrological regulations (regulations on metrological conditions and metrological guides for inspection). These can be tested or calibrated in keeping with relevant reference documents providing the testing/calibration methods. The only exception will be weighing machines used for construction purposes;
     
  • only companies and other legal entities that are accredited to perform conformity assessment activities (inspection) shall be authorised to perform verification of measuring instruments solely in line with valid regulations governing metrological conditions/requirements and the mode of determining fulfilment of metrological conditions/requirements (regulations on metrological conditions and metrological guides for inspection), and not in line with other documents such as directives, internal procedures, standards, producer’s instructions, OIML R, etc.;
     
  • companies and other legal entities for which there are no valid metrological guides for inspection shall not be authorised to perform verification of measuring instruments;
     
  • only companies and/or other legal entities (conformity assessment bodies) accredited as per SRPS ISO/IEC 17020 and the scope of accreditation of which contains the reference to the measuring instruments mentioned in Article 2 of the Regulation on the Types of Measuring Instruments Requiring Mandatory Verification and on Time Intervals of Their Periodic Verification can be authorised to perform verification, whereas the reference documents used for inspection shall be only relevant metrological regulations (regulations on metrological conditions and metrological guides for inspection);
     
  • conformity assessment bodies accredited as per SRPS ISO/IEC 17020 in the field of measuring instruments do this only for the purpose of fulfilling one of the conditions enabling authorisation in the field of verification of measuring instruments and in line with the regulations, whereas they cannot perform inspection activities.

Following the aforementioned MFE internal memo ATS made the following decision for all inspection bodies in the field of measuring instruments:

  1. From 15th August 2013, ATS will, in case of all inspection bodies accredited for the inspection of the measuring instruments not referred to in Article 2 of the Regulation on the Types of Measuring Instruments Requiring Mandatory Verification and on Time Intervals of Their Periodic Verification (Official Gazette of the RS No. 49/10), reduce the scope of accreditation for the said measuring instruments or withdraw accreditation. In case of files to be decided on by 14th August 2013 ATS will reduce the scope of accreditation or withdraw accreditation during decision-making. Weighing machines used for construction purposes shall be an exception thereto since these shall continue to be visible in the scopes of accreditation.
     
  2. From 15th August 2013, ATS will, in case of all inspection bodies that, in addition to valid regulations governing metrological conditions/requirements and the mode of determining fulfilment of metrological conditions/requirements (regulations on metrological conditions and metrological guides for inspection), have in their scope of accreditation other reference documents (e.g. internal procedures, standards, producer’s instructions, OIML R, etc.), correct the scopes of accreditation by omitting non-metrological regulations.
     
  3. ATS defined 1st October 2013 as the deadline by which accredited inspection bodies not having valid metrological guides for inspection in their scopes of accreditation, but other reference documents (e.g. directives, internal procedures, standards, producer’s instructions, OIML R, etc.) should update their inspection method to keep it in line with the valid metrological guide for inspection. Accredited inspection bodies shall, by that date, inform ATS about the update of the instruction method and submit information/documents related therewith. ATS will review the submitted information/documents and make a decision on the mode of verification of changes made (which may involve an assessment). In case of inspection bodies that fail to submit the information and documents by 1st October 2013 ATS will make a decision on accreditation withdrawal or reduction of the scope of accreditation. In case of accredited inspection bodies that will submit the information and documents within the said deadline ATS will make an appropriate decision no later than 1st December 2013 depending on the activities to be carried out.
     
  4. From 15th August 2013, ATS will, in case of all accredited inspection bodies having reference in their scopes of accreditation to measuring instruments for which there are no valid metrological guides for inspection, suspend the part of the scope mentioning the measuring instruments for which there are no valid metrological guides for inspection. In case of files to be decided on by 14th August 2013 ATS will make decisions on suspension during decision-making.
     
  5. ATS will, when making decisions on accreditation after initial assessments and assessments for the purpose of extending the scope of accreditation, take into consideration MFE internal memo No. 011-00-145/2013-33 of 19th June 2013.