MID in plain terms
The Measuring Instruments Directive (MID), formally Directive 2014/32/EU, is the EU’s law for the measuring instruments whose readings are used to bill, tax, fine or protect people. It establishes the requirements that measuring instruments have to satisfy with a view to their being made available on the market and/or put into use for the measuring tasks a Member State prescribes (Art. 1), and those tasks are the ones a Member State considers justified for reasons of public interest, public health, public safety, public order, protection of the environment, protection of consumers, levying of taxes and duties and fair trading (Art. 3(1)). An instrument that meets the directive circulates freely: Member States may not impede its making available or putting into use for reasons the directive covers (Art. 7(1)).
The 2014 text is a recast of Directive 2004/22/EC aligned with the New Legislative Framework, adding the economic operator duties, the traceability rules and the market surveillance procedures shared with the other CE-marking directives. It entered into force on 18 April 2014, Member States had to transpose it by 19 April 2016 and apply it from 20 April 2016, when Directive 2004/22/EC was repealed (Art. 51 to Art. 53). Directive 2004/22/EC had itself replaced eleven old-approach instrument directives, from gas meters and taximeters to hot-water meters, on 30 October 2006 (Directive 2004/22/EC, Art. 22).
Official text Read the directive on EUR-Lex: Directive 2014/32/EU (CELEX 32014L0032), the consolidated text of 27 January 2015 that includes the water-meter amendment, and Directive (EU) 2026/706, which adds the EV charging and compressed gas dispenser categories from 10 October 2028.
Scope
The directive applies to the measuring instruments defined in the instrument-specific Annexes III to XII: water meters (MI-001), gas meters and volume conversion devices (MI-002), active electrical energy meters (MI-003), thermal energy meters (MI-004), measuring systems for continuous and dynamic measurement of quantities of liquids other than water (MI-005), automatic weighing instruments (MI-006), taximeters (MI-007), material measures (MI-008), dimensional measuring instruments (MI-009) and exhaust gas analysers (MI-010) (Art. 2(1)). Directive (EU) 2026/706 rewrites that paragraph to add measuring systems for electric vehicle supply equipment (MI-011, new Annex Va) and measuring systems for compressed gas dispensers (MI-012, new Annex VIIa); the national measures apply from 10 October 2028 (Directive (EU) 2026/706, Art. 1(1) and Art. 3(1)). Where an instrument-specific annex lays down essential requirements for sub-assemblies, the directive applies to them mutatis mutandis, and sub-assemblies and instruments may be assessed independently and separately (Art. 5). The directive is the specific directive for the electromagnetic immunity of these instruments, while the EMC Directive 2014/30/EU continues to apply to their emissions (Art. 2(2)).
The directive is optional in one important sense: each Member State decides for which measuring tasks it prescribes the use of a legally controlled instrument, and must tell the Commission and the other Member States why where it does not (Art. 3). In Denmark, executive order nr. 774 of 1 June 2022 applies the directive to water, gas, electricity and heat meters used under the order on consumption metering, to liquid measuring systems, automatic weighing instruments, material measures and dimensional measuring instruments; it does not require its rules for milk measuring systems, material measures, length measuring instruments and area measuring instruments, although Sikkerhedsstyrelsen may designate notified bodies for them, and it does not cover taximeters and exhaust gas analysers at all (executive order nr. 774/2022, § 1). Non-automatic weighing instruments are outside the directive and follow Directive 2014/31/EU.
The duties fall on the economic operators: manufacturer, authorised representative, importer and distributor (Art. 4, point (12)). A manufacturer is whoever manufactures a measuring instrument or has it designed or manufactured and markets it under his own name or trade mark or puts it into use for his own purposes (Art. 4, point (8)), and an importer or distributor that sells under its own brand or modifies an instrument in a way that may affect compliance takes on the manufacturer’s obligations (Art. 12). A Member State may attach putting-into-use conditions justified by local climate and may fix the accuracy classes for specific applications, while allowing all classes on its territory (Art. 7(3) and Art. 7(4)); non-conforming instruments may be shown at trade fairs with a visible sign saying so (Art. 7(5)).
What you must do
Essential requirements
A measuring instrument must meet the essential requirements of Annex I and of the relevant instrument-specific annex (Art. 6). Annex I asks for a high level of metrological protection so that any party affected can have confidence in the result, and covers twelve headings: allowable errors within the maximum permissible errors under rated operating conditions and a defined performance under disturbances, with the manufacturer specifying the climatic limits from Table 1, the mechanical class M1 to M3 and the electromagnetic class E1 to E3 (point 1); reproducibility (2); repeatability (3); discrimination and sensitivity (4); durability (5); reliability (6); suitability, including no feature that facilitates fraudulent use and identifiable metrologically critical software (7); protection against corruption of hardware, software and stored or transmitted data, with utility displays that cannot be reset (8); the inscriptions on the instrument and the information that accompanies it (9); the indication of the result, including a metrologically controlled display accessible without tools on utility meters (10); durable records for non-repeatable trading transactions (11); and a design that allows ready evaluation of conformity (12). Directive (EU) 2026/706 amends points 10.2 and adds 10.6 so that gas and electricity meters and the new EV charging and compressed gas systems may show the result on a remote display or, for the new systems, a consumer device, with the result traceable to the instrument and protected against tampering.
Harmonised standards and OIML normative documents
Instruments conforming to harmonised standards, or parts of them, whose references are published in the Official Journal are presumed to conform to the essential requirements those standards cover, and the same presumption attaches to the parts of normative documents of the International Organisation of Legal Metrology whose list the Commission publishes (Art. 14(1), Art. 14(2) and Art. 15). A manufacturer may use any other technical solution that meets the essential requirements, but only correctly applied standards or normative documents give the presumption (Art. 14(3)). The Commission works with WELMEC on non-binding guidance documents that explain the practical application of the directive (European Commission, measuring and weighing instruments page).
Conformity assessment with a notified body
Conformity assessment is carried out, at the manufacturer’s choice, by one of the procedures listed in the relevant instrument-specific annex, and the modules themselves are in Annex II (Art. 17). Every listed procedure involves a third-party body. That body is a notified body in all of them but one: module A2, which Chapter II of Annex X allows for capacity serving measures, may at the manufacturer’s choice be carried out by an accredited in-house body, a separate and distinct part of the undertaking that is accredited under Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, supplies its services only to that undertaking and is not notified to the Member States or the Commission (Art. 30 and Annex II, module A2, point 4). Water, gas, electricity and thermal energy meters, taximeters and exhaust gas analysers may use B + F, B + D or H1 (Annexes III to VI, IX and XII); liquid measuring systems add G (Annex VII); automatic weighing instruments use B + D, B + E, B + F, D1, F1, G or H1 for mechanical systems, B + D, B + E, B + F, G or H1 for electromechanical instruments and B + D, B + F, G or H1 for electronic or software-based systems (Annex VIII); material measures of length use F1, D1, B + D, H or G and capacity serving measures A2, F1, D1, E1, B + E, B + D or H (Annex X); dimensional instruments use F1, E1, D1, B + F, B + E, B + D, H, H1 or G when mechanical or electromechanical and B + F, B + D, H1 or G when electronic (Annex XI). Records and correspondence are drawn up in the official language of the notified body’s Member State or in a language it accepts (Art. 17). Member States notify the bodies authorised for these tasks, may notify a body even for instrument types they have not prescribed, and designate a notifying authority responsible for assessing, notifying and monitoring them; they may decide that the assessment and monitoring are carried out by a national accreditation body within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, and where the notifying authority entrusts those tasks to a non-governmental body, that body must be a legal entity, meet the requirements for notifying authorities mutatis mutandis and carry liability cover, with the notifying authority remaining fully responsible (Art. 23 and Art. 24); in Denmark the manufacturer must use a body designated by Sikkerhedsstyrelsen or by another Member State (executive order nr. 774/2022, § 33).
Technical documentation, declaration and markings
The technical documentation must render the design, manufacture and operation intelligible and permit an assessment of conformity, be detailed enough to define the metrological characteristics, the reproducibility of the metrological performance of produced instruments and the integrity of the instrument, and contain the general description, drawings, manufacturing procedures, descriptions of electronic devices and software, the standards or normative documents applied or the solutions adopted instead, design calculations, the test results under rated operating conditions and disturbances, the durability results for gas, water, thermal energy and liquid meters, and any EU-type or design examination certificates for identical parts; the manufacturer specifies where seals and markings are applied and the conditions for compatibility with interfaces and sub-assemblies (Art. 18).
The EU declaration of conformity states that the essential requirements have been demonstrated, follows the Annex XIII model, contains the elements of the modules used, is continuously updated, is translated as the Member State requires and, where several Union acts apply, is a single declaration covering them all; by drawing it up the manufacturer assumes responsibility (Art. 19). Conformity is shown by the CE marking and the supplementary metrology marking (Art. 20): the capital letter M and the last two digits of the year of its affixing, surrounded by a rectangle of the CE marking’s height, subject to the same general principles as the CE marking (Art. 21). Both are affixed visibly, legibly and indelibly to the instrument or its data plate, or to the documents and packaging where the nature of the instrument does not allow it, before placing on the market and possibly during fabrication, on the main device of a set of devices that are not sub-assemblies, the metrology marking immediately after the CE marking and followed by the notified body’s identification number where the body is involved in production control (Art. 22).
Obligations by role
Manufacturers design and manufacture to the essential requirements, draw up the documentation and carry out the conformity assessment, draw up the declaration and affix both markings, keep the documentation and declaration for 10 years, keep series production in conformity, sample-test and keep a complaints register where the instrument’s performance warrants it, mark the identifier and their name and address, supply the declaration copy and the instructions in the required language, take corrective action, inform the authorities of risks and cooperate on request (Art. 8). Authorised representatives act under a mandate that must at least cover keeping the documents and cooperating with the authorities, and cannot take over the design or documentation duties (Art. 9). Importers place only compliant instruments on the market, verify the manufacturer’s assessment, documentation, markings, declaration and identification, add their own name and address, ensure the instructions, protect the instrument in storage and transport, sample-test where warranted, take corrective action and keep the declaration for 10 years (Art. 10). Distributors verify the markings, declaration, documents, instructions and identification before making an instrument available, protect it in storage and transport and see that corrective action is taken (Art. 11). Importers and distributors that sell under their own brand or modify an instrument become manufacturers (Art. 12), and every operator identifies its suppliers and customers for 10 years (Art. 13). Since 16 July 2021, Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 also requires an economic operator established in the Union, a manufacturer, importer, authorised representative or fulfilment service provider, for every instrument placed on the market (Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Art. 4).
Transitions
Instruments covered by Directive 2004/22/EC, in conformity with it and placed on the market before 20 April 2016 may still be made available and put into use, certificates issued under it remain valid, and the effects of its Article 23 transition ran until 30 October 2016 (Art. 50). Under Directive (EU) 2026/706, instruments conforming to the directive as it stood on 8 April 2026 and placed on the market before 10 October 2028 may still be made available and put into use, EV charging and compressed gas dispenser measuring systems conforming to national law may be placed on the market until 10 April 2030, and certificates for instruments brought into the directive that were issued before 10 October 2028 remain valid until expiry and at the latest until 10 April 2038; conformity assessment bodies complying with the amended directive may be notified before 10 October 2028 and may issue certificates before that date for the instruments defined in Annexes II, III and V to the amending directive, that is the amended gas meter, electricity meter and thermal energy meter annexes (Directive (EU) 2026/706, Art. 2 and Art. 4).
Enforcement and penalties
Article 41 applies Article 15(3) and Articles 16 to 29 of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 to measuring instruments; those articles were repealed by Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 from 16 July 2021, which lists the directive as point 51 of its Annex I, so the reference is read as that regulation. Where an authority has sufficient reason to believe that an instrument presents a risk to the public interests the directive protects, it evaluates the instrument, requires corrective action, withdrawal or recall within a period commensurate with the risk, informs the notified body and, if the operator does not act, prohibits or restricts the making available, withdraws or recalls the instrument and informs the Commission and the other Member States (Art. 42). The Commission decides disputed national measures through the Union safeguard procedure (Art. 43), compliant instruments that still present a risk can be treated the same way (Art. 44), and formal non-compliance, such as a missing or wrongly affixed CE or metrology marking, a missing notified body number, a missing or incorrect declaration, missing documentation or missing identification, must be ended and otherwise leads to restriction, prohibition, withdrawal or recall (Art. 45).
Penalties are set nationally: Member States lay down effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for infringements of their transposing laws, which may include criminal penalties for serious infringements (Art. 49). In Denmark, legal metrology has fallen under the product act (lov om produkter og markedsovervågning) since 1 July 2021; the act supplements Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, lists the directive in section 2, names Erhvervsstyrelsen as the control authority and provides orders to warn users, stop marketing, remedy, stop sales, withdraw, recall or destroy, prohibitions, orders to the owner of an instrument used for payment-based measurement and fines that rise to imprisonment of up to 2 years in aggravating circumstances (LBK nr. 22/2026, § 2, § 9, § 14, § 16, § 16 a and § 37). Executive order nr. 774 of 1 June 2022 implements the directive itself: it repeats the operator duties, the notified-body requirement and the marking rules, lets Sikkerhedsstyrelsen order formal non-compliance corrected and then order withdrawal, recall or a sales ban, order an improper metrology marking removed, and punishes breaches with fines and, in aggravating circumstances, imprisonment of up to 2 years (§ 57 to § 59). Since January 2026 Sikkerhedsstyrelsen is the department Markedsovervågning of Erhvervsstyrelsen (the Danish Business Authority) and carries out the same tasks.
How Conphora helps
Conphora monitors the MID, its harmonised standards and OIML normative documents and the 2026/706 timeline, and maps your instruments against the right instrument-specific annex, the modules it allows and the marking requirements, flagging gaps in the technical documentation, the EU declaration of conformity and the metrology marking before they become enforcement problems. The platform helps you build and keep the documentation and the 10-year records, combines the MID declaration with the EMC and other declarations the same instrument needs, and alerts you when an annex, a standard or a national choice under Article 3 changes.
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Sources
- Directive 2014/32/EU on measuring instruments, consolidated text of 27 January 2015 (EUR-Lex)
- Directive 2014/32/EU as published in OJ L 96, 29 March 2014 (EUR-Lex)
- Document information, dates and relationships for CELEX 32014L0032 (EUR-Lex)
- Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/13 amending Annex III as regards the flowrate range of water meters (EUR-Lex)
- Directive (EU) 2026/706 amending Directive 2014/32/EU as regards EV supply equipment, compressed gas dispensers and electricity, gas and thermal energy meters (EUR-Lex)
- Directive 2004/22/EC on measuring instruments, consolidated text of 1 December 2009 (EUR-Lex)
- Directive 2014/31/EU on non-automatic weighing instruments (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and compliance of products (EUR-Lex)
- Legal metrology (European Commission, DG GROW)
- Measuring and weighing instruments in the EU (European Commission, DG GROW)
- Bekendtgørelse nr. 774 af 1. juni 2022 om tilgængeliggørelse på markedet af måleinstrumenter (Retsinformation)
- Bekendtgørelse af lov om produkter og markedsovervågning, LBK nr. 22 af 8. januar 2026 (Retsinformation)
- Legal måling og vejning (legal metrologi) (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen)
- Sikkerhedsstyrelsen, en del af Erhvervsstyrelsen from January 2026 (Erhvervsstyrelsen)
This guide is for general information and is not legal advice.