2010 No. 365

Weights And Measures

The Units of Measurement Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

Made

Coming into operation

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, being designated1 for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 19722 in relation to units of measurement to be used for economic, health, safety, or administrative purposes, makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2(2) of that Act.

Citation and commencement1

These Regulations may be cited as the Units of Measurement Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 and shall come into operation on 6th December 2010.

Interpretation2

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19543 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Amendment to the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 19813

Article 6(7A) of the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 19814 shall be amended by omitting the words “until 31st December 2009”.

Revocation4

The Units of Measurement Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20025 are revoked.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on 29th October 2010.

seal_r00001M. BohillA senior officer of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations implement in part the amendments made by Directive 2009/3/EC of the European Parliament and the Council (OJ L114, 7.5.2009, p 10) to Council Directive 80/181/EEC (OJ L39, 15.2.1980, p 40) which relates to the use of units of measurement.

Regulation 3 removes the time limit (specified in the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981) on the use of supplementary indications of quantity expressed in imperial units of measurement (31st December 2009). The use of such supplementary indications is, therefore, permitted indefinitely.

Regulation 4 revokes the Units of Measurement Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 which inserted the 31st December 2009 time limit in the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.