Traceable measuring:

A condition for the economy, for society and science

EURAMET e.V. is the association of the European national metrology institutes which are responsible for an internationally recognized traceability of measures to the international system of units (SI) in Europe. The institutes from 32 countries run national standards for this and conduct research and development work to be able to meet the measuring demands of science and technology also in future.

Correct measuring has always been a condition for trade and production. Since the foundation of the “metre convention” in 1875 an internationally uniform measuring system has been used for this, and since 1960 the international system of units (SI). The SI units are realized and passed on by the “national metrology institutes“ (NMI). In Austria and Germany these are the Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen (BEV) and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). NMI run as national standards primary realisations of the SI system or have connected their national standards to those of other NMI with primary realisation.

Internationally recognized metrological traceability

During the last years global trade has increased strongly, and to participate in it an internationally recognized traceability of the measuring results to a primary realisation of the SI units is required in many cases, i.e. there must be no gaps in the chain of traceability and it must be traced to national or international standards.

In 1999 the international Committee for Measures and Weights (CIPM) of the “metre convention“ implemented the CIPM-MRA (Mutual Recognition Agreement).

For this the NMI demonstrate their technical competence by participating in the international comparisons of the CIPM. In peer review procedures they evaluate their calibration and measuring competences and assess quality management systems.

The recognized calibration and measuring competence is stored in the database of the CIPM-MRA (www.bipm.org) and can be accessed there by everybody. The national accreditation offices can for example see whether calibration certificates of the NMI issued are internationally secured through an entry in this database.

EURAMET e.V. – the new organisational structure of the Euopean NMI

Since 1987 the European NMI have been working together under the roof of EUROMET. Last year the registered association EURAMET with its head office in Braunschweig, Germany, developed from this.The purpose of the restructuring was to become a legal entity and to establish structures which allow a European coordinated performance of metrological research programmes on its own responsibility.

It was possible to successfully complete this restructuring in 2007 and to set up a European metrology research programme. First parts of it were already started at the beginning of 2008 through a programme with a total volume of approx. Euro 64.5 million co-financed by the EU within the framework of ERANET-Plus.

In addition to the new main focus on coordination of research EURAMET has taken over all the previous activities of EUROMET. EURAMET is in particular the regional metrology organisation which is in charge of all activities within the framework of CIPM-MRA in Europe.

Author: Prof. Dr. Michael Kühne, Chairperson von EUROMET