(fra europaparlaments- og rådsdirektivet)

(1) One of the objectives of Directive 2014/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) is to guarantee the functioning of the internal market with regard to measuring instruments. Pursuant to Article 6 of that Directive, measuring instruments falling within the scope of that Directive are to meet the essential requirements set out in Annex I and in the relevant instrument-specific Annexes to that Directive.

(2) The scope and the associated essential requirements covered by Directive 2014/32/EU were established by Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), of which Directive 2014/32/EU is a recast. Technical requirements have remained unchanged for more than 20 years. In the meantime, new measuring instruments that do not fall within the scope of Directive 2014/32/EU have appeared on the market. That is the case, in particular, for measuring systems for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and measuring systems for compressed gas dispensers, which are important for the successful development of clean mobility. Moreover, Directive 2014/32/EU does not set out requirements for thermal energy meters for cooling applications. In addition, in relation to electricity and gas meters, Directive 2014/32/EU does not adequately provide for the use of direct current, hydrogen or other fuel gases that can be used as alternatives to more traditional fuel gases, nor does it allow for full advantage to be taken of smart metering which plays an important role in achieving the Union’s climate objectives. Therefore, it is appropriate to amend both the scope of Directive 2014/32/EU and the essential requirements set out in the Annexes to that Directive in a targeted way in order to take technological developments into account. The placing on the market of measuring instruments should be addressed in a systematic and comprehensive way through a general revision of Directive 2014/32/EU, including a revision of Annex I and instrument-specific Annexes, such as Annex III covering water meters, to adapt the current Union framework to technological developments.

(3) Annexes I, IV, V and VI to Directive 2014/32/EU should be amended as they are no longer technology-neutral and do not provide essential requirements corresponding to new technologies, which provide improved protection to consumers.

(4) Annex I to Directive 2014/32/EU should be amended in order to take into account the rollout of smart gas and electricity meters and the new measuring instruments in the new instrument-specific Annexes.

(5) Annex IV to Directive 2014/32/EU should be amended to take into account the growing use of hydrogen and other fuel gases that can be used as alternatives to more traditional fuel gases and the rollout of smart gas meters.

(6) Annex V to Directive 2014/32/EU should be amended to take into account the rollout of smart electricity meters and to update that Directive with regard to instruments measuring direct current.

(7) A new annex to Directive 2014/32/EU should be inserted in order to address the need for harmonised essential requirements with regard to measuring systems for EVSE, irrespective of their intended application, while ensuring that no retrofitting obligations are imposed as regards existing charging stations.

(8) Annex VI to Directive 2014/32/EU should be amended to include thermal energy meters for cooling applications in order to avoid additional certification for such products at national level.

(9) The increased use of compressed gases, such as hydrogen and natural gas, requires the insertion of a new annex to Directive 2014/32/EU as regards measuring systems for compressed gas dispensers, while ensuring that no retrofitting obligations are imposed as regards existing compressed gas dispensers.

(10) Since the objective of this Directive, namely to ensure that measuring instruments on the internal market satisfy the requirements with regard to providing for a high level of protection of the public interests as set out in this Directive while guaranteeing the functioning of the internal market, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of its scale and effects, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.

(11) In order to enable economic operators to supply stocks of measuring instruments that are in conformity with Directive 2014/32/EU, it is necessary to provide for reasonable transitional arrangements that allow the making available on the market and putting into use of measuring instruments that have already been placed on the market in accordance with that Directive before the date of application of the national measures transposing this Directive. Furthermore, specific transitional arrangements should be put in place to allow economic operators to prepare for the application of the harmonised requirements regarding measuring systems for EVSE and measuring systems for compressed gas dispensers.

(12) In order to avoid any delay in the rollout of measuring instruments after the date of application of this Directive, it is important that, by the date of application of this Directive, a sufficient number of conformity assessment bodies are authorised to carry out conformity assessments applying the new requirements for measuring instruments and are therefore notified to the Commission accordingly. For the same reason, such notified bodies should be able to issue certificates for the measuring instruments defined in the instrument-specific Annexes II, III and V to this Directive before the date of application of this Directive.

(13) In order to provide sufficient time for manufacturers to adapt their products to the essential requirements set out in the Annexes to this Directive, it is necessary to provide for reasonable transitional arrangements that allow the making available on the market and putting into use of measuring instruments that have been placed on the market for which national certificates were issued or for which a certificate was issued under Directive 2014/32/EU before the date of application of the national measures transposing this Directive, and that will fall within the scope of Directive 2014/32/EU from the date of entry into force of this Directive.

(14) Directive 2014/32/EU should therefore be amended accordingly,