Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive amending Council Directive 80/181/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to units of measurement
C 89/8 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 30. 3. 1999 Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive amending Council Directive 80/181/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to units of measurement (1999/C 89/02) (Text with EEA relevance) COM(1999) 40 final — 99/014(COD) (Submitted by the Commission on 6 February 1999) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, are disallowed after 31 December 1999; whereas supplementary indications in non-legal units should therefore be authorised for a further period; Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 100a thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 5. Whereas the application of Directive 80/181/EEC should be re-examined and the appropriate measures taken towards the use of a global system; whereas the procedure of Article 18 of the Council Directive 71/316/EEC (3), should apply where appropriate, Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee, Acting in accordance with the procedure to in Article 189b of the Treaty, HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 1. Whereas at international level the 19th General Conference on Weights and Measures (1991) extended the list of SI prefixes to be used for multiples and submultiples of SI units; 2. Whereas the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has revised the principles and rules regarding quantities and units as laid down international standard ISO 31; whereas rules for the practical use of the SI system are given by the international standard ISO 1000; in the 3. Whereas the text of Council Directive 80/181/EEC (1), as last amended by Directive 89/617/EEC (2) should be brought into line with these international agreements and standards; 4. Whereas certain third countries do not accept onto their market products marked exclusively in the legal units established by Directive 80/181/EEC; whereas companies exporting to these countries will be disadvantaged if supplementary indications Article 1 Directive 80/181/EEC is hereby amended as follows: 1. In Article 3(2): ‘31 December 1999’ is replaced by ‘31 December 2009’. 2. The following Article 6a is added: ‘Article 6a Issues concerning the implementation of this directive, in particular, the matter of supplementary and indications shall be further examined, and if necessary the appropriate measures adopted in accordance with the procedure of Article 18 of Council Directive 71/316/EEC (*). (*) OJ L 202, 6. 9. 1971, p. 1. ’ (1) OJ L 39, 15. 2. 1980, p. 40. (2) OJ L 357, 7. 12. 1989, p. 28. (3) OJ L 202, 6. 9. 1971, p. 1. 30. 3. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 89/9 3. The Annex is amended as follows: ‘Unit of plane angle (a) In Chapter I, the text under the table in point 1. 1. 1 is replaced by the following: ‘Celsius temperature t is defined as the difference t = T - T0 between the two thermodynamic temperatures T and T0 where T0 = 273,15 K. An interval or difference of temperature may be expressed either in kelvins or in degrees Celsius. The unit “degree Celsius” is equal to the unit “kelvin”. ’ (b) The definitions of the SI supplementary units following the table in point 1. 2. 1 is replaced by the following: The radian is the angle between two radii of a circle which cut off on the circumference an arc equal in length to the radius. (International standard ISO 31 — 1: 1992). Unit of solid angle The steradian is the solid angle of a cone which, having its vertex in the centre of a sphere, cuts off on the surface of the sphere an area equal to that of a square with sides of length equal to the radius of the sphere. (International standard ISO 31 — 1: 1992). ’ (c) The table in point 1. 3. is replaced by the following: ‘Factor Prefix Symbol Factor 1024 1021 1018 1015 1012 109 106 103 102 101 yotta zetta exa peta tera giga mega kilo hecto deca Y Z E P T G M K H da 10−1 10−2 10−3 10−6 10−9 10−12 10−15 10−18 10−21 10−24 (d) Point 3. is replaced by the following: Prefix deci centi milli micro nano pico femto atto zepto yocto Symbol d e m µ n p f a z y’ ‘3. UNITS USED WITH THE SI, THE VALUES OF WHICH IN SI ARE OBSTAINED EXPERIMENTALLY Quantity Unit Name Symbol Definition energy elektron volt eV mass unified atomic mass unit u The electron volt is the kinetic energy acquired by an electron in passing through a potential difference of 1 volt in vacuum The unified atomic mass unit is equal to 1/12 of the mass of an atom of the nuclide 12C. Note: The prefixes and their symbols listed in 1. 3 may be used in conjunction with these two units and with their symbols. ’ C 89/10 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 30. 3. 1999 Article 2 Article 3 Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive on (1). They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof. Without prejudice to Directive 80/181/EEC, Member States shall, after 31 December 1999, authorise or continue to permit the use of the supplementary indications referred to in Article 3 of that Directive. When Member States adopt these provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference at the time of their official publication. Member States shall lay down the procedure for such reference. Article 4 This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. (1) 12 months after the adoption of this Directive