Explanatory note

These Regulations implement in part the amendments made by Directive 1999/103/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24th January 2000 (OJ No. L34, 9.2.2000, p.17) to Council Directive 80/181/EEC (OJ No. L39, 15.2.1980, p.40) which relates to the use of units of measurement for economic, public health, public safety or administrative purposes to permit the use of non-metric units of measurement as “supplementary indications” until 31st December 2009. These Regulations accordingly amend a number of Regulations, as specified in the Schedule, made under the Weights and Measures Act 1963 or the Weights and Measures Act 1985 on weighing and measuring equipment in use for trade. These Regulations insert the date of 31st December 2009 as the final date for the use of supplementary indications (the Schedule) and provide for the use of supplementary indications until that date in other Regulations (regulation 3(2)).

A Regulatory Impact Assessment of the costs and benefits which will result from these Regulations has been prepared. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament and can also be obtained from the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, Stanton Avenue, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0JZ.