Country Information

Sweden has a long history in legal metrology. The Royal Decree on Measures and Weights in 1665 stipulated that important instruments used for measuring length, volume and weight should be controlled by a public authority and provided with a certificate to that effect. 

Since 1993, the system for conformity assessment in Sweden is open. It means that private accredited laboratories and inspection bodies perform checks according to regulations. The aim of the open system is to promote competition and to create a free market based on accreditation. Users of measuring devices can order the verification service from any of the accredited bodies operating on the market. 

Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (Swedac) is, in addition to being the national accreditation body, the national authority for legal metrology. 

Two bodies are currently designated as national measurement institutes (NMIs): RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. The NMIs are under surveillance of Swedac. 

As the national authority for legal metrology Swedac is responsible for issuing regulations and for market surveillance in the field of legal metrology:

• Units of measurments
• Measuring instruments
• Pre-packages (market surveillance of food stuff is carried out by Swedish National Food Agency) 
• Precious metals

The authority is to 90% financed by fees coming from mainly the users of instruments.

The main reason for having regulations for measuring instruments is to protect the private consumer in trade transactions. There are, however, exceptions from this principle such as provisions for other types of meters and measuring equipment used in production or running of infrastructure establishments. For example electric energy metering other than those covered by the Measuring Instruments Directive. 

• Non-automatic weighing instruments (NAWI)
• Automatic weighing instruments (AWI) (only for use in weighing domestic waste and in production of pre-packages).
• Meters for liquids other than water (only fuel for vehicles and heating of residential housing)
• Water meters (residential housing)
• Heat meters (residential housing)
• Electricity meters
• Taximeters
• Exhaust gas analysers
• Pre-packages, e-marking abd 

The instruments listed below are instruments used in situations where the private consumer is effected by the measuring results. For those instruments legal metrological controls is required and practically all of the instruments are subjected to compulsory periodical checks.

• Non-automatic weighing instruments (NAWI)
• Automatic weighing instruments (AWI)
• Meters for other liquids than water
• Water meters 
• Heat meters 
• Taximeters
• Electricity meters

Sweden operates a mandatory reverification scheme for virtually all of the measuring instruments used for sale or transactions to consumers. Reverification is performed by inspection bodies, accredited according to ISO/EN 17 020 and the Swedac sector specific regulations.

Market surveillance is normally included in the enforcement activities according to national regulations. Swedac is responsible for the activities, however, not necessary the body to carry them out. Primarily, the main requirements are checked, sealings and markings etc. The instrument is also evaluated in terms of CE- and M-marking and EC-verification (notified body number) and eventually the Declaration of Conformity.

The Directive is implemented by the Swedac regulation (STAFS 2016:12) on Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments. 

The directive is implemented in regulation (STAFS 2016:1) on measuring instruments containing the common requirements on the economic operators, the Annex 1 of the directive and the conformity assessment modules. The instrument specific requirements and the requirements on metrological controls are implemented in the following regulations: 

• STAFS 2016:2 on water meters
• STAFS 2016:3 on gas meters 
• STAFS 2016:4 on active electrical energy meters
• STAFS 2016:5 on heat meters
• STAFS 2016:6 measuring systems for continuous and dynamic measurement of quantities of liquids other than water
• STAFS 2016:7 on automatic weighing instruments 
• STAFS 2016:8 taximeters
• STAFS 2016:9 material measures
• STAFS 2016:10 dimensional measuring instruments    
• STAFS 2016:11 exhaust gas analysers 

For some areas, as AWI for example, the regulation is limited to a certain use of the instrument. For others, such as material measures, there are no mandatory regulations on the use of the measures or instrument.

STAFS 2017:1 on prepackaged goods

STAFS 1993:16 on bottles used as measuring containers

STAFS 2009:26 on units of measurement 

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SWEDAC
Box 878
501 15 BORÅS
SWEDEN
Phone: + 46 33 17 77 00
E-mail: registrator@swedac.se
https://www.swedac.se/