Update from the CEEMS Advisory Group

Jaco Marneweck

NRCS, Pretoria, South Africa

Citation: J. Marneweck 2026 OIML Bulletin LXVII(1) 20260108

The Advisory Group on matters concerning Countries and Economies with Emerging Metrology Systems (CEEMS AG) has had a busy and successful year.

In 2025 we organized three OIML training events (OTEs):

The first was hosted by the Instituto Nacional de Normalização e Qualidade (INNOQ) in Maputo, Mozambique, from 8-10 April 2025. This event was fully funded by UNIDO. It focused on labelling requirements, and the control of quantity in prepackages according to the two OIML Recommendations R 79 and R 87. The training was given in Portuguese by Mr Pedro Pérez Vargas (Colombia) and Mr Jaco Marneweck. In addition to UNIDO, we are grateful to INNOQ for supporting the event by supplying the venue, laboratory equipment, and also the samples used for practical testing. The 27 participants were left with wonderful memories, and the feedback on the OTE was tremendously positive. It was well worth providing the education in Portuguese, the language with which the trainees were familiar.
The second OTE was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 13-15 May 2025. It was arranged by the Southern African Development Community Cooperation in Legal Metrology (SADCMEL) and was fully funded by the PTB. It also focused on OIML R 79 and R 87, but this time Jaco Marneweck was the only trainer. Thanks go to the PTB, and also the South African National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) who supported the event by providing the trainer, the training material, the laboratory equipment, and the product samples. There were 32 participants and English/Portuguese/ French translation was provided. Again the feedback was very positive.
The last OTE took place from 2-4 September 2025. This was planned and arranged by the Working Group on Goods Packed by Measure of the Asia Pacific Legal Metrology Forum (APLMF), and took place at the Central Bureau of Weights and Measures of the Department of Internal Trade, Thailand, in the Nonthaburi district of Bangkok. This OTE was part of the continued support to the Kingdom of Thailand with respect to their “NEXT Legal Metrology Systems” programme, which was approved by the CIML as the “Chang Mai Declaration” in 2023. The OTE focused mainly on the contents, or quantity, of prepackaged products according to OIML R 87. We commend the APLMF trainers: Mr Phil Sorrell and Mr David Wallace from Trading Standards, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), New Zealand; Mr Kittisak Ngamsanga and Mr Varantorn Weruwanarak from the Central Bureau of Weights and Measures (CBWM), Department of Internal Trade (DIT), Thailand; and Mrs Faith Tan from the Weights and Measures Office (WMO), Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). Trainees from six economies participated, and again the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

The OIML DTG subcommittee on e-learning is developing a new course on digitalization, which will be made available on the OIML's e-learning platform. This subgroup is also coordinating the Organization’s e-learning activities, and we thank them for ensuring that e-learning activities are progressing.

We draw attention to the supplementary brochure on OIML D 1 National metrology systems – Developing the institutional and legislative framework, which is available on the OIML website. This includes six inserts which can be used to help develop decision-makers’ knowledge of D 1. Both D 1 and the brochure were developed in cooperation with the BIPM, and an e-learning course on OIML D 1 is also available free of charge on the BIPM website.

The CEEMS AG continues to assist with the development of the institutional and legislative framework of various countries. Two activities on OIML D 1 are already in train. A first course took place from 25-26 November 2025 at the OIML Training Centre in Shanghai, China, and explained how to use OIML D 1 when setting up national infrastructure. The Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC) has also asked for a training event on D 1 in early 2026, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa. This OTE will be aimed at the directors of national measuring institutes and legal metrology authorities in the region, to build capacity with introducing new legislation.

The CEEMS AG has been approached by the Republic of Ecuador and by the Republic of Uganda for special assistance. Initial meetings have been held, and the CEEMS AG will be taking the matter further with help from the OIML RLMO Round Table and the OIML-CS to identify specific projects and training to assist these two economies.

A survey on the needs of CEEMS will be launched on the OIML website in early 2026, and delegates are encouraged to complete it to ensure that their needs are taken into account in future CEEMS work.

A first Working Draft revision of OIML D 14 Training and qualification of legal metrology personnel has been circulated by the Project Group’s convener, Dr Cord Müller. Comments have been received on this Working Draft, and the CEEMS AG stresses the importance of broad participation in the revision of this important OIML Document.

We thank the BIML for naming Mr Paul Dixon as convenor for the Project Group to revise OIML D 19 Pattern evaluation and pattern approval. The CEEMS AG is participating, and encourages all its members to help as far as possible in the revision of this 35 year old Document. A First Committee Draft (CD) was circulated in May 2025 and 60 comments were received; a 2CD was circulated before the end of 2025. It is recommended that more members join this Project Group, as it is important to canvas a wide range of opinions and inputs.

The CEEMS AG continues to cooperate with the RLMO Round Table, the DTG, and the OIML-CS, and thanks the BIML for their support of the CEEMS AG’s activities.