Explanatory note

Northern Ireland

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations replace the Weights and Measures (Quantity Marking and Abbreviations of Units) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991 as amended by the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods and Quantity Marking and Abbreviations of Units) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 (S.R. 1995 No. 229).

Those amendments related to metrication and stemmed from the implementation of the amendments made by Council Directive 89/617/EEC (O.J. No. L357, 7.12.89, p. 28) to Council Directive 80/181/EEC (O.J. No. L39, 15.2.80, p. 40) which relates to the use of units of measurement for economic, public health, public safety or administrative purposes.

Part II of the Regulations makes provision as to:—

(a)

the manner in which quantities are to be marked on those containers of goods which are required to be marked under the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (“the Order”) with information as to quantity, including:

(i)

the marking of catchweight products with a metric indication of quantity, and

(ii)

the marking of containers as a general rule with metric units and optional supplementary imperial markings; and

(b)

the units of measurement to be used in marking containers required to be marked under Part V of the Order.

In respect of containers required to be marked by or under Part V of the Order with information as to quantity, contravention of regulation 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 gives rise to an offence under Article 19(6) of the Order. In respect of containers required to be marked by or under Article 30(1A) or 31(5) or (5A) of the Order with information as to quantity, contravention of regulation 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 gives rise to an offence under Article 32(1) of the Order. The penalty on summary conviction for these offences is a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5,000).

Part III makes provision with respect to the abbreviations of (or symbols for) units of measurement which may lawfully be used for trade, other than for the purpose of marking weighing or measuring equipment. Contravention of this Part is an offence under Article 13(1) of the Order. The penalty on summary conviction for this offence is a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1,000).

These Regulations have been notified to the European Commission pursuant to Council Directive 83/189/EEC (O.J. No. L109, 26.4.83, p. 8) as amended by Council Directive 88/182/EEC (O.J. No. L81, 26.3.88, p. 75) and European Parliament and Council Directive 94/10/EC (O.J. No. L100, 19.4.94, p. 30) which lays down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations.