Country Information

History in short

The origins of the Polish administration of measures can be traced to the early period of the Polish state. The earliest preserved written evidence dates back to the year 1136. In 1420 King Wladyslaw II Jagiello established a legal act known as "Statuty Krakowsko - Warckie" in order to unify the units of measures. The first parliamentary act codifying the law in the field of measures was "Ustawa na miary y wagi" of 1565. 

The Central Office of Measures was established in 1919, immediately after the Polish State regained independence, as a continuator of the Office of Measures for the city of Warszawa, organised in 1916. 

Administration of measures in Poland has 2 levels structure and consists of Central Office of Measures (GUM) and 10 Regional Offices of Measures (with 50 Local Branches)

The Central Office of Measures (GUM) is an institution of the state administration competent in matters of measurement and hallmarking. The President of the Central Office of Measures is a central organ of the state administration, appointed by the Prime Minister. 

The scope of tasks of the President in the matters of measures includes:

1. Maintaining and developing system of the legal measurements units and national measurement standards, particularly:

• establishing, maintaining and developing of the national measurement standards, stored and used in the office, and carrying out research and development work in this field
• informing, by way of a public notice, on the measurement standards complying with the requirements, specified for the national measurement standards
• ensuring, through comparisons, traceability of the national measurement standards to the international measurement standards or to the measurement standards in other countries
• ensuring dissemination of the values of the legal units of measurement from the national measurement standards to measuring instruments
• supervising operations of organisational entities and laboratories from outside the administration of measures, being in possession of the national measurement standards and making them available
• production and certification of the reference materials
• performing expert opinions and examination of the measuring instruments
• determining the quantity value by measuring the objects in relation to which the measurement activities are carried out
• conducting scientific research and development works in the fields of metrology, in particular in the field of measurement technologies, and cooperation with other scientific institutions in this area, organising and conducting national interlaboratory comparisons
   

2. Supporting and inspiring the development of the national industry, in particular:

• providing consultancy and technical consulting in the field of measuring instruments, methods and technologies
• organising and conducting specialist trainings in the field of metrology, measures and technologies
• carrying out activities promoting issues of metrology including publishing of metrological periodicals
• initiating standardisation work in matters of measurement
• initiating the development of scientific research, development works and other projects in the field of metrology, establishing and conducting cooperation with the national institutions linked with metrology

3. International cooperation in the field of metrology, particularly:

• representing the Republic of Poland in metrological international and regional organisations
• cooperation with foreign institutions carrying out activities in the field of measures

4. Performing tasks in the field of legal metrological control, in particular:

• approval of types of measuring instruments based on the results of tests and issuing of type approval marks, by decision, as well as withdrawal of type approval decisions
• keeping a register of approved types of measuring instruments
• the performance of legal metrological control and recognition as equivalent of legal metrological control in the Republic of Poland adequate legal metrology control performed by competent foreign metrological institutions
• granting and withdrawing, by way of decision, authorizations for initial legalization or re-verification of specific types of measuring instruments
• issuing of certificates of conformity within the system of the International Organization of Legal Metrology

5. Supervision and coordination of the measurement service in Poland, in particular: 

• performing supervision over the administration of measures and measurement offices, and ensuring the correctness and consistency of their operation
• performing supervision over the entities performing repairing, installation of measuring instruments and performing initial and subsequent verification of the measuring instruments within the scope of activities resulting from the authorisations and permits granted to them
• issuing refusal and withdrawal by way of decision, authorisations given to external entities to conduct activities in the field of performing repairs or installations and checking specific types of measuring instruments
• performing tasks of the market surveillance body within the meaning of the Act of 13 April 2016 on conformity assessment and market surveillance systems (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 544, 1338 and 2020, item 1068) in the scope of conducting proceedings for non-compliant products or products hazard placed on the market with regard to measuring instruments and non-automatic weighing instruments
• preparing draft of law acts on matters falling within its scope of activity
• expressing opinions on legal acts submitted to the Office
• signalling to competent authorities the need to undertake legislative work in the matter of measures

6. Publishing the Official Journal of the Central Office of Measures
7. Performing, within the scope of its competences, other metrological work
8. Performing tasks provided for in separate acts or entrusted by the Prime Minister

In Poland measuring instruments under law regulations are used in following areas: in protection of health, life and environment; in protection of safety and law and order; in protection of consumers' rights; in collecting fees, taxes and non-tax budget dues as well as in establishing discounts, penalties, remuneration and compensations, and in charging and establishing dues and services alike; in customs control; in trade. 

In Poland, measuring instruments are subject to legal metrological control in the form of:

• Type Approval - carried out by GUM only
• Initial Verification - carried out by Regional Verification Offices or authorised third-party companies (certain kinds of measuring instruments only)
• Subsequent Verification - carried out by Regional Verification Offices or authorised third-party companies (certain kinds of measuring instruments only)

In general legal metrological control in Poland consists of three steps: type approval, initial verification and subsequent verification:

Type approval > Initial verification > Subsequent verification

Metrological supervision plays also an important role as a mechanism used to ensure that measuring instrument complies with the approved type.

On the territory of Poland surveillance officers check measuring instruments in:
shops and other places where products are sold for customers and price is given as a result of measurement

• filling stations
• taxis
• drugstores/pharmacies
• other areas under legal metrological control

There are also other entities of public administration, in particular trade inspection, sanitary inspection or mining offices that, within the scope of their competence, are authorised to exert control of implementation of the provisions of Law on Measures.

Moreover, directors of Regional Measurement Offices are responsible for supervision of packing of products and of measuring container bottles (MCBs). The surveillance officers perform reference tests in relation to actual quantity of prepackages and MCBs.

According to the Law on Measures the following offenses shall be liable to a fine:

• express the values of physical quantities in units of measurement other than the legal units of measurement
• put measuring instruments that are subject to the legal metrological control on the market or puts into operation, uses or stores the same in a stand-by condition without required evidence of the control or failing to comply with the metrological requirements
• use measuring instruments in the fields, referred to in Law on Measures, not in compliance with the proper operating conditions
• carry out initial or subsequent verification of particular categories of measuring instruments without appropriate or authorisations
• purposefully impedes the organs of the administration of measures to perform their supervising tasks

Every year the 'Supervision and Inspection Department' publishes the report showing how many instruments where checked, the percentage of good instruments, how many tickets were given, how many shops, pharmacies and other points were controlled. Similar report refers to prepackages and MCBs, it includes the information showing how many packers and lots of prepackages were controlled and the number of lots which do not meet the requirements.

The type approval of the measuring instrument is a decision of the President of the Central Office of Measures which admits that measuring instrument of a given type complies with metrological requirements specified in the relevant regulations.

In certain cases the President of the Central Office of Measures may recognise as equal to type approval and verification  appropriate documents and tests of the measuring instruments carried out by foreign metrological institutions upon having ascertained that the requirements and methods of testing comply with the requirements and methods of testing  given in Polish regulations.

(This form of legal metrological control is not applicable for measuring instruments covered by MID and NAWI directives.)

According to the Law on measures during initial verification there are following checks:

• verification of compliance with approved type (construction, materials, metrological characteristics)
• verification of markings and symbols
• verification of compliance with technical documentation if apply

The initial verification is a mechanism used in Poland to ensure that measuring instruments comply with the approved type, required before putting into use or placing the instrument on the Polish market.

(This form of legal metrological control is not applicable for measuring instruments covered by MID and NAWI directives.)

After certain period of time defined in the Regulation of the Minister of  Entrepreneurship and Technology of 22^th March 2019 on legal metrological control of measuring instruments (Journal of Laws 2019, item 759) subsequent verification should be conducted. Subsequent verification is also performed when a measuring instrument had been repaired or reinstalled.

Subsequent verification has its period of validity defined in law for every category of instrument. Subsequent verification can be performed every year like for some measuring instruments for liquids, every two or three years like for weighing instruments, every five or even ten years like for heat or gas meters.

During subsequent verification there are following checks:

• verification if markings are present, verification if the instrument is not broken
• verification of metrological characteristics (MPE etc.)

As a result of verification in case of positive result (for example testing whether measuring errors are within MPE prescribed in technical regulations) inspector leaves mark (sticker) or paper document (certificate) showing that instrument was positively verified. Result of verification allows to use the instrument for next period.

The list of measuring instruments subjected to national metrological control is specified by the Regulation of the Minister of Development and Finance of 13th April 2017 on types of measuring instruments subjected to legal metrological control and scope of this control (Journal of Laws 2017,  item 885).

Types of Instruments Subject to Type Approval

• oscillatorytype density meters for measuring liquid density within the range from 450 kg/m³ to 2,000 kg/m³
• instrument for measuring of the standard mass per storage volume of grain: standard 20 L
• sound level meters
• record sheets for recording equipment in road transport – vehicle tachographs

Types of Measuring Instruments Subject to Legal Metrological Control in the Scope of Type Approval and Initial Verification

• glass areometers - alcohol meters and alcohol densimeters
• glass areometers - densimeters for liquids other than alcohol
• metal barrels

Types of Measuring Instruments Subject to Legal Metrological Control in the Scope of Initial and Subsequent Verification

• Weights with accuracy classes E₁, E₂, F₁, F₂, M₁ with nominal mass from 1 mg to 50 kg and weights with accuracy class M₂ with nominal mass from 1 g to 50 kg

Types of Measuring Instruments Subject to Legal Metrological Control in the Scope of Type Approval, Initial and Subsequent Verification

• road tankers
• instrument for measuring of the standard mass per storage volume of grain: usable 20 L, 1 L, ¼ L and standard 20 L
• tyre pressure gauges for motor vehicles
• instruments for measuring the speed of vehicles in traffic control; radar, laser and control speedometers
• weighing instruments for weighing vehicles in motion
• measuring tanks for liquids, excluding measuring tanks for liquids permanently installed on liquid fuel stations, which are used exclusively for storage of liquids

Types of Measuring Instruments Placed on the Market or Use After Conformity Assessment Within the Meaning of Art. 2, Point 12 of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 Laying Down Requirements for Accreditation and Market Surveillance Regarding the Conditions for the Marketing of Products and Repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13/08/2008, p. 30) Subject to Subsequent Verification

• exhaust analysers
• heat meters with a qp volume flow of not more than 500 m³/h, excluding constriction heat meters and heat accumulators, and the following heat energy subassemblies with a qp volume flow of not more than 500 m³/h:
  • conversion factors, excluding converters for blast furnaces
  • pairs of temperature sensors, excluding pairs of temperature sensors for ventilating heat meters
  • flow transducers excluding venturi-type flow transducers
• gas meters with a maximum volume flow Q_max of not more than 100 m³/h installed on the gas network, in which the maximum working pressure does not exceed 0.5 MPa, and the conversion factors used for these gas meter                                                                       
• measuring installations for continuous and dynamic measurement of the amount of liquids other than water:
  • for cryogenic liquids with a maximum volume flow Q_max not greater than 600 dm³/min
  • to propane-butane liquid gas, including liquefied gas (LPG), with a maximum volume flow Q_max of not more than 1000 dm³/min, including metering liquids of these liquids
  • to milk with a maximum volume flow Q_max not greater than 2000 dm³/min
  • for other liquids other than water with a maximum volume flow Q_max of not more than 6000 dm³/min, including liquid fuel meters and liquid biofuels
• active and AC electricity meters of accuracy classes A, B and C
• machines for measuring the surface area of leather
• instruments for measuring the length of fabrics, wire, cable, tape materials, dressings and paper
• taximeters
• automatic weighing instruments:
  • for single loads
  • discontinuous totalising automatic weighing instruments
  • automatic gravimetric filling instruments
  • continuous totalising automatic weighing instruments
  • automatic rail-weighbridges
• non-automatic weighing instruments
• water meters with a continuous volume flow Q₃ of not more than 500 m³/h

Fees to be charged for the activities of the administration of measures, due to:

• legal metrological control of measuring instruments (type approval and verification)
• recognition as equal to type approval and verification appropriate documents and tests of the measuring instruments carried out by foreign metrological institutions

are determined by the Regulation of the Minister responsible for the public budget in agreement with the minister responsible for the economy.

Metrological supervision plays also an important role as a mechanism used to ensure that measuring instrument complies with the approved type.

On the territory of Poland surveillance officers check measuring instruments in:

• shops and other places where products are sold for customers and price is given as a result of measurement
• filling stations
• taxis
• drugstores/pharmacies
• other areas under legal metrological control

There are also other entities of public administration, in particular trade inspection, sanitary inspection or mining offices that, within the scope of their competence, are authorized to exert control of implementation of the provisions of Law on Measures.

Moreover, directors of Regional Measurement Offices are responsible for supervision of packing of products and of measuring container bottles (MCBs). The surveillance officers perform reference tests in relation to actual quantity of prepackages and MCBs.

According to the Law on Measures the following offenses shall be liable to a fine:

• express the values of physical quantities in units of measurement other than the legal units of measurement
• put measuring instruments that are subject to the legal metrological control on the market or puts into operation, uses or stores the same in a stand-by condition without required evidence of the control or failing to comply with the metrological requirements
• use measuring instruments in the fields, referred to in Law on Measures, not in compliance with the proper operating conditions
• carry out initial or subsequent verification of particular categories of measuring instruments without appropriate or authorisations
• purposefully impedes the organs of the administration of measures to perform their supervising tasks

Every year the “Supervision and Inspection Department” publishes the report showing how many instruments where checked, the percentage of good instruments, how many tickets were given, how many shops, pharmacies and other points were controlled. Similar report refers to prepackages and MCBs, it includes the information showing how many packers and lots of prepackages were controlled and the number of lots which do not meet the requirements.

Directive 2014/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26th of February 2014 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of non-automatic weighing instruments (OJ L 96/107, 29.03.2014) has been adopted to the Polish law by the Act of Parliament of 13th of April 2016 on Systems of Conformity Assessment and Market Surveillance (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 544 and of 2020 item 1086) and the Regulation of the Minister of Development of  2nd of June 2016 on requirements for non-automatic weighting instrument (Journal of Laws 2016, item 802) and no specific requirements have been implemented as regards the gravity value.

Directive 2014/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26th of February 2014 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of measuring instruments (OJ L 96/149, 29.03.2014) has been adopted to the Polish law by the Act of Parliament of 13th of April 2016 on Systems of Conformity Assessment and Market Surveillance (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 544 and of 2020 item 1086) and the Regulation of the Minister of Development of 2nd of June 2016 on requirements for measuring instruments (Journal of Laws 2016, item 815).

Legal acts refer to the activities of the administration of measures and the administration of hallmarking include:

• Act of Parliament of 11th of May 2001, Law on Measures (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 2166)
• Act of Parliament of 1st of April 2011, Law on Hallmarking (Journal of Laws 2020, item 1365)
• Act of Parliament of 13th of April 2016 on Systems of Conformity Assessment and the Market Surveillance (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 544 and of 2020, item 1086)
• Act of Parliament of 7th May 2009 on Pre-packaged Goods (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 1442)

Poland does not have a national regulation on Gravity zones.
The new "gravity concept" is accepted.

Central Office of Measures
Elektoralna 2 00-139 Warszawa, Poland
Phone: +48 22 581 93 99
E-mail: gum@gum.gov.pl
www.gum.gov.pl

WELMEC Committee Member
Prof Jacek Semaniak
President of Central Office of Measures
Elektoralna 2, 00-139, Warszawa, Poland
Phone: +48 22 581 90 01
E-mail: prezes@gum.gov.pl