S.I. No. 320/1978:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (ELECTRICAL ENERGY METERS) REGULATIONS, 1978.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (ELECTRICAL ENERGY METERS) REGULATIONS, 1978.

I, DESMOND O'MALLEY, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive No. 76/891/EEC of 4 November, 1976¹ hereby make the following regulations:

¹ OJ No. L336/30, 4/12/76.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Electrical Energy Meters) Regulations, 1978.

2. (1) In these Regulations "the Council Directive" means Council Directive No. 76/891/EEC of 4 November, 1976.

(2) A word or expression that is used in these Regulations and is also used in the Council Directive has, unless the contrary intention appears, the meaning in these Regulations that it has in the Council Directive.

3. (1) Only those electrical energy meters to which the Council Directive applies may bear the EEC pattern approval sign and the EEC initial verification mark and they shall be subject to EEC pattern approval and shall be submitted for EEC initial verification.

(2) Nothing in the Weights and Measures Acts, 1878 to 1961, or any instrument made thereunder shall prohibit, prevent or restrict, or authorise or empower the prohibition, prevention or restriction of or the refusal to authorise or permit, the placing on the market or entry into service of electrical energy meters to which the Council Directive applies if such meters bear the EEC pattern approval sign and the EEC initial verification mark.

4. (1) Regulations 7 and 11 (which relate to the affixing of EEC initial verification marks to instruments and the inspection of instruments to which such marks are affixed) of the European Communities (Measuring Instruments) Regulations, 1973, shall apply to electrical energy meters to which the Council Directive applies as they apply to the instruments covered by those Regulations, subject to the modifications that in those Regulations references to inspectors shall be construed as references to inspectors under the Weights and Measures Acts, 1878 to 1961, and references to the special provisions applicable to an instrument of its category and the requirements prescribed as references to the requirements in relation to an instrument of its category specified in the Annex to the Council Directive.

--(2) Paragraphs 2 and 3 (which relate to the affixing of EEC pattern approval symbols to instruments) of Schedule 2 of the said European Communities (Measuring Instruments) Regulations, 1973, shall apply to electrical energy meters to which the Council Directive applies as they apply to instruments covered by those Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 17th day of November, 1978.

DESMOND O'MALLEY,

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These regulations are made to give effect, so far as necessary, to Council Directive No. 76/891/EEC on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to the metrological control of Electrical Energy Meters.