MessEG

MessEG, short for Mess- und Eichgesetz, is a German federal law governing metrology and the administration of measuring instruments. The act regulates the construction, calibration, verification, and marking of measuring devices that are used for commercial transactions or official measurements. It covers a broad range of devices, including scales, gas and water meters, electricity meters, thermometers, and other instruments where measurement results have legal or financial consequences. The goal is to ensure accuracy, reliability, and traceability of measurements to national and international standards, protecting consumers and ensuring fair competition.

MessEG sets responsibilities for manufacturers, suppliers, and users of measuring instruments. It provides for conformity assessment, verification and recalibration requirements, and sealing and periodic inspection by authorized metrology offices. Compliance is supervised by the nation’s metrology authority, the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), together with Eichbehörden of the Länder, and under the oversight of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The act aligns with European metrology directives such as the Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) to facilitate cross-border trade and harmonization.

Since its enactment, MessEG has been amended several times to incorporate EU requirements and advances in measurement technology, and to expand coverage to new instrument types. It forms part of Germany’s legal metrology framework alongside related regulations on calibration, verification, and marking.

See also: Measuring Instruments Directive, PTB, Legal metrology, Eichgesetz.