METROLOGY FOR IMPROVED MEASUREMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL REGULATION AND TRADE: THE REGMET PROJECT

The operation of the economy on a global scale and the quality of life for the individual citizen depends on reliable measurements and tests, which are trusted and accepted internationally. Although broadly harmonised, differences in measurement practice amongst regulators and associated bodies still exist even within the EU. This is because the approach by the regulatory community in Europe is still influenced by historical practice and awareness of measurement issues varies significantly. Equally, development of national measurement capability does not always take optimum account of the regulatory perspective. A partnership of nine European National Metrology Institutes, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and the European Organisation for Conformity Assessment, with partial support from the European Commission, are engaged in the RegMet project with the regulatory community to overcome this historical legacy. This paper describes the aims, findings and progress of the RegMet project, including the concept of the development of a measurement template for regulators.