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Country Information Cyprus

Cyprus is an independent, sovereign republic with a presidential system of government. Under the 1960 Constitution the executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term of office. The legislative power in the Republic is exercised by the House of Representatives. For administrative purposes, the country is divided into 6 districts, 39 municipal councils and 362 councils of communities.

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, with an area of 9 251 m2 and a population of approximately 940 000 (2015 estimate). Population distribution by ethnic group is: 74,5% Greek Cypriots, (including 0,8% Maronites, 0,4% Armenians, 0,1% Latins), 9,8% Turkish Cypriots and 15,7% foreigners residing in Cyprus. 

Central Government exercises metrological control through the Weights and Measures Service (WMS), which is part of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism. WMS is the competent authority for the enforcement of the Weights and Measures Legislation. Its principal aim is to ensure that accuracy of measurements is maintained, both at trade level as well as at scientific level.

The main functions / responsibilities of WMS concern the application of SI units, the custody and preservation of the national standards of units of measurement, the initial and periodic verification of measuring instruments used in trade transactions and in industrial production and the control of pre-packaged products sold by mass, volume, length, area or number. In parallel, WMS is responsible for the transposition of the relevant EU Legislation into National Legislation, the drafting of primary as well as subsidiary legislation relating to weights and measures and pre-packaged products and the implementation and enforcement of such legislation and of course the rendering of metrological services to the industry. A uniform system of weights and measures was first introduced in Cyprus in 1890 and the SI units became the legal units of measurement in 1988.

The existing legal basis for the WMS’s activities is the Weights and Measures Law of 1974 to 2010 and the various sets of regulations made thereunder.

  • Simple length measures in trade use
  • Non-liquid volume measures
  • Liquid volume measures
  • Dipsticks
  • Medium and higher accuracy weights
  • Liquid volume measuring instruments
    • Petroleum
    • Bulk milk
    • Heating oil
  • Cold water meters
  • Electricity meters
  • Non-automatic weighing instruments
    • Self-indicating
    • Non-self-indicating
  • Automatic weighing instruments
    • Continuous totalizing
    • Gravimetric filling
  • Catch weighers
  • Checkweighers
  • Weight graders
  • Road traffic instruments
    • Taximeters  

All instruments are generally subject to initial verification and mandatory periodic verification.

Initial verification is performed by the WMS. Verification fees are prescribed under the Weights and Measures Regulations of 1981 to 2011, which are approved by the House of Representatives.

Market Surveillance is carried out by the WMS concerning the instruments covered by the Directives 2014/31/EU and 2014/32/EU.

A mandatory reverification system operates in Cyprus, supplemented by random inspection. These activities are carried out by the WMS. Typical reverification intervals are:

  • Weighing instruments in trade use (apart from weighbridges): 2 years
  • Trade weights: 2 years
  • Petrol pumps in trade use and weighbridges: 1 year

Fees for reverification are the same as those for initial verification. Repairers cannot reverify instruments after repair.

WMS employs 2 Industrial Extension Officers, 7 Commerce and Industry Inspectors, 1 Clerical staff and 2 Drivers / Labourers for all the activities of WMS; that is, initial verification, market surveillance, reverification and inspections, as well as control of pre-packages. Officers are required to have a university science or engineering degree and the Inspectors a diploma from technical college. Training is vocational. WMS investigates complaints concerning inaccurate instruments or short measure and pre-packages and provides advice to businesses on legal requirements. 

Infringements of the Weights and Measures Law of 1974 to 2010 and the relevant Regulations made thereunder are dealt with by prosecution in a Court of Law or by a written or verbal warning.

Provision for the imposition of administrative fines exists in the National Law "The Essential Requirements to which certain Categories of Products must Conform Law of 2002 to 2013" and the relevant Regulations (concerning NAWI and MI) made thereunder.

The Essential Requirements to which certain Categories of Products must Conform (Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments) Regulations of 2017 (P.I. 85/2017), that are fully harmonized with the Directive, have been issued on 17 March 2017 and started being implemented on the same date.

The Essential Requirements to which certain Categories of Products must Conform (Measuring Instruments) Regulations of 2017 (P.I. 83/2017), that are fully harmonized with the Directive, have been issued on 17 March 2017 and started being implemented on the same date.

All categories of measuring instruments are subject to legal metrological control under the Weights and Measures Law of 1974 to 2010 and the relevant Regulations made thereunder.

The following is for information only:

There are no formal gravity zones established in Cyprus for NAWI, and there are no requirements for gravity zone stickers.

The instruments must respect the required mpe for new instruments at the place of their use.

Mr Loizos Loizides
Controller of Weights and Measures
Weights and Measures Service
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
6, Andreas Araouzos Street, 1421 Nicosia, Cyprus
Phone: +357 22 369846
E-mail: lloizides@mcit.gov.cy
www.mcit.gov.cy

LAST UPDATE: JANUARY 2018

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