S.I. No. 122/1983:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (GAS VOLUME METERS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1983.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (GAS VOLUME METERS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1983.

I, FRANK CLUSKEY, Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving effect to Commission Directive No. 82/623/EEC of 1 July 1982⁽¹⁾, hereby make the following Regulations:

⁽¹⁾O.J. No. L252, 27.8.82, p. 5.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Gas Volume Meters) (Amendment) Regulations, 1983.

2. In these Regulations "the Regulations of 1979" means the European Communities (Gas Volume Meters) Regulations, 1979 ( S.I. No. 243 of 1979 ).

3. Schedule 6 of the European Communities (Measuring Instruments) Regulations, 1973 ( S.I. No. 67 of 1973 ), is hereby amended--

( a ) By the substitution for clause 3.2.3 of paragraph 3.2 (inserted by the Regulations of 1979) of chapter I.B. of the following clause:

"3.2.3 When not connected to a detachable additional device, the exposed ends of the drive shafts must be suitably protected.",

( b ) By the substitution for paragraph 8 of the said chapter I.B. of the following paragraph:

"8. Location of verification marks and seals

8.1 The location of the marks and seals must be so chosen that dismantling of the part sealed by one of the marks or seals will result in damage thereto.

8.2 When the inscriptions mentioned in item I.B.4.1. are affixed on a special data plate, and if this plate is not to be a permanent fixture, one of the marks or seals must be so located that it is damaged if the special plate is removed, the object being to prevent removal of the said plate.

8.3 Locations should be provided for verification marks or seals:

( a ) on all plates carrying an inscription required by this Annex with the exception of plates which are permanent fixtures;

( b ) on all parts of the meter which cannot otherwise be protected against interference liable to:

--affect or alter the indication on the indicating device of the meter,

--alter or break the connection between the measuring device and the indicating device,

--remove or displace metrologically important parts of the meter;

( c ) on the connection with the detachable additional devices or on the protective devices referred to in item I.B. 3.2.3."

( c ) By the substitution for paragraph 9 of the said chapter I.B. of the following paragraph:

"9. EEC initial verification

Gas meters submitted for EEC initial verification shall be in working order. EEC initial verification is no guarantee of the proper functioning or accuracy of reading of additional devices as referred to in items I.B.3.1. or I.B.3.2. No EEC verification marks or EEC seals shall be affixed to such additional devices save for the connections provided for in Item I.B.8.3.c.",

( d ) By the substitution for paragraph 10 of the said chapter I.B. of the following paragraph:

"10. Verification marks and seals

10.1 Affixture

Meters having undergone successfully the verification tests:

--shall be provided with an EEC initial verification mark,

--shall receive EEC seals in the locations mentioned in item I.B.8.3.

10.2 Purpose

The affixing of EEC initial verification marks and seals on a gas meter certifies solely that the meter satisfies the requirements of this Directive.",

( e ) By the substitution for clause 1 (inserted by the regulations of 1979) of paragraph 5.2 of chapter II of the following clause:

"5.2.1 when the maximum torques indicated on the gas meter pursuant to item I.B.3.2.1 or I.B.3.2.2. are applied to the drive shafts, the indication of the gas meter at Q min must not vary by more than 1.5%, without prejudice to item II.6.3.2.",

( f ) By the substitution for clause 3.1.1 of chapter III of the following clause:

"3.1.1 Meters must incorporate both upstream and downstream in the gas circuit a static pressure tapping for measuring the pressure absorption; the pressure measured upstream shall constitute the reference pressure.",

( g ) By the substitution for subparagraph 3.3 of the said chapter III of the following subparagraph:

"3.3 Pressure tappings

 3.3.1 Bores for pressure tappings must have a diameter of at least 3 mm. In the case of slit-shaped pressure tappings, slits must have a width of at least 2 mm. and a cross-section in the direction of flow of at least 10 mm .

 3.3.2 Pressure tappings must be provided with a means of closure so as to make them gas-tight.

 3.3.3 The pressure tapping for the reference pressure must be clearly and indelibly marked 'Pr' and the other pressure tapping 'p'.",

( h ) By the substitution of the following subparagraph for subparagraph 6.1 of the said chapter III:

"6.1 Accuracy tests

A meter is considered to satisfy the requirements concerning the maximum permissible errors if the requirements are met at the following flow rates:

Qmin 0.10 Qmax (if this value is greater than Qmin), 0.25 Qmax, 0.40 Qmax, 0.70 Qmax and Qmax.

If the examination is conducted under different conditions, the guarantees must be at least equal to those obtained by the tests mentioned above.".

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 27th day of April, 1983.

FRANK CLUSKEY,

Minister for Trade, Commerce and

Tourism.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These regulations are made to give effect, so far as necessary, to Commission Directive No. 82/623/EEC adapting to technical progress Council Directive No. 71/318 as last amended by Commission Directive 78/365 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to gas volume meters.