Country Information

The early days of Slovak metrology can be traced back to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy when Slovakia formed the integral part of that empire. The Metric Convention was signed by the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1875 as one of the signatory states.

After the declaration of independence, Czechoslovakia signed the Metric Convention in 1922.

The first Act on metrology in Czechoslovakia dates from 1962. The scientific base, the Institute of Metrology, was established in 1968.

The international system of units (SI) was enacted as the only system of units in 1975.

Field of metrology in Slovakia is regulated by the following regulations:

• Act No 157/2018 Coll on metrology and amending certain Acts as amended by the Act No 198/2020 Coll.
• Decree of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing No 173/2018 Coll on legal units of measurement as amended by the Decree No 432/2019 Coll.
•  Decree of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing No 188/2018 Coll on pre-packages and bottles used as measuring container and on the requirements for checking the quantity of product in pre-packages and on the requirements for checking the actual volume of the bottle used as measuring container, as amended by the Decree No 433/2019 Coll.
• Decree of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing No 161/2019 Coll. on measuring instruments and metrological control.

The legislative framework for New Approach is represented by the Act No 56/2018 Coll on product conformity assessment, making available of the product on the market and on change and amendment of certain Acts. The particular New Approach Directives were transposed into Slovak legislation in the form of Regulations of the Government of the Slovak Republic.

The Slovak Republic is a member of the Metric Convention, OIML and WELMEC e. V. as a full member.

The Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing (UNMS SR), the central steering body of state administration in the field of metrology that reports to the government.

The main task of UNMS SR in the field of metrology is the elaboration of the conception of state policy, preparation of metrological legislation, granting authorization for verification of legally controlled measuring instruments and for carrying out official measurements and steering and supervising the activities of the following specialized and executive bodies of metrology:

Slovak Institute of Metrology (SMU) in Bratislava is the main research and scientific body of state metrology and has the function of a national metrology institute. SMU is responsible for development and maintenance of national measurement standards which represent the basis for traceability of measuring instruments and measurements in the field regulated by the Act on Metrology and also in the non-regulated field. It is the state administration body in the field of metrology issuing type approval certificates. SMU is a full member of EURAMET e.V. and COOMET.

Slovak Legal Metrology, non-profit organization (SLM) is the main executive body of metrology. According to the Act on Metrology, this non-profit organization fulfills the task in the field of legal metrology. The main task of the SLM is calibration of measurement standards for industry and verification of a legally controlled measuring instruments. It has 5 regional workplaces spread over the territory of the Slovak Republic.

Slovak Metrology Inspectorate (SMI) as the state administration body is responsible for metrology supervision over the measuring instruments and measurements including pre-packages under national metrology legislation and fulfils the function of the market surveillance over the non-automatic weighing instruments (NAWID) and measuring instruments (MID).

Authorised bodies are metrological laboratories which being assessed concerning their competence, have been authorized by UNMS SR to perform verification of a legally controlled measuring instruments or to perform official measurements. Many of them are accredited by the Slovak National Accreditation Service (SNAS).

Legally controlled measuring instruments are generally subject to the type approval and initial verification and mandatory reverification unless otherwise stated.

• Volume measures made of metal
• Volumetric flasks in glass (no mandatory reverification)
• Casks and barrels
• Road tanks
• Fixed storage tanks (type approval not required)
• Measuring instruments and systems for liquids other than water
• Water meters (under national legislation – outside the scope of MID)
• Gas meters (under national legislation – outside the scope of MID)
• Gas volume conversion devices (under national legislation – outside the scope of MID)
• Medium accuracy weights in use for trade (type approval not required)
• Weights of above medium accuracy (type approval not required)
• Measuring instruments for grading cereals
• Equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles
• Chronotachographs
• Sphygmomanometers
• Tyre pressure gauges for motor vehicles
• Material testing machines (type approval not required)
• Tensile testing machines (type approval not required)
• Pendulum impact testing machines (type approval not required)
• Clinical thermometers
• Thermal energy meters and their components (under national legislation – outside the scope of MID)
• Electrical energy meters (under national legislation – outside the scope of MID)
• Measuring transformers (no mandatory reverification)
• Luxmeters
• Pure-tone audiometers
• Sound level meters
• Measuring microphones
• Sound calibrators  
• Density meters (no mandatory reverification)
• Refractometers (type approval for digital ones only)
• Moisture meters for cereal grains and oilseeds
• Evidential breath analysers
• Gas chromatographs for determination of calorific value of natural gas
• Instruments for measurement of ionising radiation and radioactivity

Measuring instruments in the list above covered by New Approach Directives are not subject to type approval and initial verification according to the Act on Metrology.

Type approval responsibility rests with the SMU for all legally controlled measuring instruments. SMU has comprehensive test facilities but may use the services of SLM, accredited testing laboratories or testing centres on the basis of a contract. Fees are time-calculated. Type approval certificates are only published in the Slovak language.

Initial verification is carried out by SMU, SLM and authorised bodies. In 2020 there were 61 authorised bodies in Slovakia carrying out also subsequent verification of a legally controlled measuring instruments.

A mandatory reverification system supplemented by random inspection is operated in Slovakia. Reverification is performed mainly by SLM and authorised bodies.

Inspection is the task of SMI.

Reverification intervals are stated in Decree of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing No 161/2019 Coll. on measuring instruments and metrological control. Typical MID and NAWID reverification intervals are:

• Water meters: 5 years
• Gas meters and volume conversion devices: 5 to 15 years
• Active electrical energy meters: 5 to 16 years
• Thermal energy meters: 4 years
• Measuring systems for continuous and dynamic measurement of quantities of liquids other than water: 1-2 years 
• Automatic weighing instruments: 2 years
• Taximeters: 2 years
• Material measures
  • Material measures of length: 2 to 5 years
  • Capacity serving measures: unlimited
• Dimensional measuring instruments
  • Length measuring instruments: 2 years
  • Area measuring instruments: 1 year
  • Multidimensional measuring instruments: 2 years
• Exhaust gas analysers: 1 year

Training of personnel is provided mainly by SMU in its Training Centre.

Personnel providing services in legal metrology have to be certified by SMU in accordance with the valid metrological legislation.

Sanctions are based upon a system of administrative penalties. SMI may impose a financial penalty up to 10 000 € to anyone who breaks the provisions of the Act on Metrology by, for example:

• using a legally controlled measuring instrument without metrological control for a purpose for which this kind of measuring instrument was included into category of a legally controlled measuring instruments,
• repairing or carrying out installation of a legally controlled measuring instruments without registration laid down by the Act on Metrology, or failing to fulfill conditions for registration,
• not ensuring the verification of a legally controlled measuring instrument after its repair.

or a penalty up to 50 000 € to anyone who, for example:

• places on the market without metrological control a legally controlled measuring instrument the type of which was not approved although it is subject to approval, or does not correspond to the approved type or was not verified although it is subject to verification,
• performs verification or official measurement without authorization,
• places on the market an e-marked prepackage that does not meet the legal requirements.

The range of financial penalties depends on the relevance, type, duration and consequences of the non-legal activity.

The Directive has been transposed into the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 126/2016 Coll on making available of non-automatic weighing instruments on the market as amended by the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 330/2019 Coll.

There are two notified bodies in Slovakia carrying out conformity assessment of non-automatic weighing instruments under this Directive – Slovak Institute of Metrology (NB 1781) and Slovak Legal Metrology (NB 1432).

The Directive has been transposed into Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 145/2016 Coll on making available of measuring Instruments on the market as amended by the Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 328/2019 Coll. All categories of measuring instruments covered by this Directive are regulated in Slovakia.

There are two notified bodies in Slovakia carrying out conformity assessment of measuring instruments under this Directive – Slovak Institute of Metrology (NB 1781) and Slovak Legal Metrology (NB 1432).

The following is for information only:

No formal gravity zones have been established in Slovakia for NAWI.

There are no formal requirements for gravity zone markings.

Manufacturers have the responsibility for bringing new instruments within the MPE at the place of their use.