DOCUMENTS Country Report Expertise Centre COUNTRY REPORT 2006 - 2007

1.5 Metrology 

Due to their different nature, legal metrology and scientific and industrial metrology have developed differently in Turkey during the period 2002-2006.

Legal metrology has traditionally been implemented quite differently in Turkey compared to European modern practices. However, the EU practices have also changed significantly during the period 2002-2006, owing to the introduction of the new approach directive for measuring instruments, the MID; but the MID was only put into force on 1 November 2006. In consequence, the Ministry for Industry and Trade, which is responsible for legal metrology, has had to wait until fairly late for the finalisation of the MID before a number of decisions regarding its implementation could be taken. However, the picture appears clear in the following way. The ministry is developing a detailed plan for the reorganisation of 10 new regional offices of verification, which will satisfy the needs with respect to type approval and initial verification. The plan is being detailed with help from the MEDA project. It includes securing that competent laboratory facilities are available for the necessary testing. Regarding Market Surveillance, a twinning project is being finalised to help the ministry set up an adequate system. There is still some doubt as to the details of the notification process, and it is not clear whether the ministry will notify an external body or act as a notified body itself.

Scientific and industrial metrology has experienced improvements during the period 2002-2006, and the technical capacity in Turkey has improved significantly. The key institution UME has maintained its international recognition that was already achieved before 2002. UME has been manifold upgraded as a result of a World Bank loan and now appears to be fully capable of satisfying the needs in the foreseeable future. Also, UME has increased its national visibility as the source of traceability in Turkey; but UME still has to deliver services related to the new facilities and to broaden its national network. Industrial metrology has experienced a very satisfactory development, so that traceability through accreditation, uncertainty statements and participation in interlaboratory comparison are now much more widespread than in 2002.