The first Law on Measures and Weights was adopted by the Bulgarian Parliament in 1888 and thus the Bulgarian metrological service was established.

At present the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology (BIM) and the State Agency for Metrological and Technical Surveillance (SAMTS) are the institutions responsible for the implementation of the governmental policy in the field of metrology. These two institutions carry out the activities in the field of metrology for providing traceability, accuracy and reliability of measurements in Bulgaria. Their responsibilities are laid down in the new Law on Measurements in 2002 and its amendment of 2005.

1) Bulgarian Institute of Metrology (BIM)

President:                      Dr. Katerin Katerinov

Address:             52 B,Blvd G.M.Dimitrov 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria

Telephone:        +359 2 873 52 77

Fax:                     +359 2 970 27 7

E-mail:                 k.katerinov@bim.government.bg

The major objectives of BIM are focused on promoting the governmental policy in the field of metrology and on providing traceability, accuracy and reliability of measurements in Bulgaria. The main BIM activities are performed by the General Directorate “National Centre of Metrology” and General Directorate “Measures and Measuring Instruments”.

The General Directorate “National Centre of Metrology” (DG NCM) realises the BIM policy in the field of fundamental metrology

General Director:         Mrs. Stefka Hristova

Address:             52-b G.M. Dimitrov Blvd., 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria

Telephone:        +359 2 873 52 88

Fax:                     +359 2 970 27 35

E-mail:                 st.hristova@bim.government.bg

The major activities of DG NCM include:

·           developing long-term programme on elaboration and improvement of the national measurement standards;

·           development, maintenance and improvement of national measurement standards;

·           providing traceability of national measurement standards to international standards or to the standards of the Signatories of the Metre Convention;

·           taking measures on assuring traceability of measurements in case if there is no approved national measurement standard or this standard is out of service;

·           organisation and participation in international comparisons in order to determine the level of equivalence of national standards;

·           dissemination of units from the national measurement standards to the standards of lower level through calibration;

·           coordinating the activities of measurement standards’ keepers;

·           keeping the register of approved national measurement standards;

·           carrying out approval of software for processing measurement data;

·           certification of reference materials and coordination of implementation of the long-term policy on developing and maintaining certified reference materials;

·           keeping the register of certified reference materials and publishing this register in a special edition;

·           carrying out the activities on creating the conditions for mutual recognition of measurement standards in the framework of the Agreement (MRA) initiated by the CIPM;

·           participation in the work of CIPM, ЕURОМЕТ and COOMET technical committees.

The General Directorate “Measures and Measuring Instruments” (DG MMI) realises the BIM policy in the filed of legal metrology

General Director:         Mr. Ivan Machulekov

Address:             52-b G.M. Dimitrov Blvd., 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria

Telephone:        +359 2 873 52 98

Fax:                     +359 2 873 52 98

E-mail:                 i.machulekov@bim.government.bg

The major activities of DG MMI include:

·           carrying out type approval of legally controlled measuring instruments;

·           keeping the register of approved types of measuring instruments;

·           carrying out initial and subsequent verification of measuring instruments;

·           carrying out metrological review of measuring instruments;

·           participation in the work of OIML, WELMEC and COOMET technical committees;

·           carrying out calibration of measuring instruments;

·           carrying out type approval and initial and subsequent verification of gambling machines;

·           carrying out type approval and review of fiscal devices;

·           keeping the register of approved types of fiscal devices.

The General Directorate “Measures and Measuring Instruments” includes the Control and Methodology Department and 6 regional departments.

2) State Agency for Metrological and Technical Surveillance (SAMTS)

President:                 Mr. Angel Angelov

Address:                    21 “6 Septemvri” Str., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Telephone:               +359 2 980 89 20

+359 2 939 67 43/828

Fax:                            +359 2 986 17 07

E-mail:                        damtn@damtn.government.bg

Angel.Angelov@damtn.government.bg

The major objectives of SAMTS are focused on promoting the state policy in the field of legal metrology –metrological supervision; market surveillance of technical products (including measuring instruments) placed on the market and/or put into use subject to essential requirements; technical inspection of high risk equipment; quality control of liquid fuels and designation of conformity assessment bodies.

The General Directorate “Metrological Supervision”(DG MS) realises the SAMTS policy on metrological supervision in the field of legal metrology:

General Director:     Mrs. Pavlina Danailova

Address:                    21 “6 Septemvri” Str., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Telephone:               +359 2 986 22 66

+359 2 939 68 01

Fax:                            +359 2 988 42 85

E-mail:                        mn.dir@sasm.orbitel.bg

mesdevdiv@sasm.orbitel.bg

Pavlina.Danailova@damtn.government.bg

The major activities of the General Directorate “Metrological Supervision” include:

·           observing the utilisation of the measurement units under the Law on Measurements;

·           supervision of manufacturers, importers, repairers and users of measuring instruments subject to legal control under the Law on Measurements;

·           authorisation and supervision of persons that verify measuring instruments;

·           restricting actions on putting measuring instruments not complying with the requirements of the Law on Measurements and respective directives on the market and/or into service;

·           control of persons producing or importing prepackages or measuring container bottles;

·           restricting action on putting prepackages or measuring container bottles not complying with the requirements of the Law on Measurements and respective directives on the market and/or into service;

·           performing market surveillance of measuring instruments;

·           registration of repairers of fiscal devices;

·           registration and control of installers and repairers of tachographs;

·           licensing repairers of electronic taximeters with fiscal memory.

The General Directorate “Metrological Supervision” of SAMTS includes Control and Methodology Department, Measuring Instruments Department and 5 regional departments.