The relevance of various international agreements on metrology to trade, legislation and standardization

On behalf of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), we draw your attention to the joint declaration produced by these three bodies.

The initial motivation for this declaration came from the 22nd General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) at which national delegations unanimously endorsed a resolution which dealt with the importance of mutual recognition of measurement standards, calibrations and tests. Resolution 6 asked the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) to draw up a declaration on the importance and application of its Mutual Recognition Arrangement (the CIPM MRA) for trade, commerce, and regulatory affairs. The Resolution also invited Member States of the Metre Convention to promote the CIPM MRA as a framework for the acceptance of calibration and measurement certificates from national metrology institutes (NMIs) as well as from accredited laboratories which could demonstrate traceability of their measurements to the International System of Units, the SI.

In preparing the declaration, the CIPM recognized that its MRA was complemented by similar Arrangements drawn up by OIML and ILAC. Indeed all three are interlinked and all support the equivalence and acceptability of SI-traceable measurements world-wide. The aim of this international measurement system is to provide users with measurement results which can be accepted everywhere without the need for further measurements. An important feature of this system is that its use can help reduce the effects of technical barriers to trade and can provide a secure base for scientific and other measurements throughout society.

We invite you to endorse the declaration and the relevance of its contents to the work of your organization.

We would of course be pleased to receive any comments or remarks you may have on how you may wish to take advantage of these MRAs.