Metrology is the science of measurement and underpins many technical specifications and conformity standards. 

The European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) and the European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) support collaborative research and development projects in measurement science. These programmes enable standards and metrology professionals to work together to support European innovation and address global challenges.

Standards need metrology: Accurate and reliable measurements help to ensure standards are fit for purpose and enable demonstration of compliance.

Metrology needs standards: Not only is metrology a process of standardisation in itself, it needs technical specifications to help diffuse accurate measurements into the economy and society.

Opportunities to collaborate:

• Participate in large-scale R&D projects focused on the specific metrology needs of the standards community
• Participate in Support for Impact calls - these smaller and shorter projects help to transfer the outputs of metrology research to standards
• Engage with existing EMRP and EMPIR R&D projects - there are more than 100 projects in areas such as energy, environment, health and industrial innovation There are annual calls for proposals in each of these areas.

Examples of successful collaboration

Supporting the Water Framework Directive:
An EMRP project is supporting the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive. The project addresses five pollutants that were identified in an EC Mandate Addressed to CEN as lacking standardised measurement methods. Experts from 11 European metrology institutes are working with CEN Technical Committee 230 on Water Analysis to ensure that appropriate and accurate methods are established to meet the required measurement capabilities.

Underpinning air quality policies:
Twelve European metrology institutes are developing new methods and reference materials that adhere to the rigorous standards for calibration gases defined in the European standards that support the EC Air Quality Directive. The project team is working with the relevant CEN and ISO Technical Committees and a network of air quality reference laboratories to ensure the metrology developments are fit for purpose and taken up by the air quality user community.

CEN-CENELEC webinar to standardisers
CEN-CENELEC, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), provide the following webinar: 'How and why contribute standardisation needs to EMPIR'

The 30 minutes webinar is presented by Luc Van den Berghe, CEN-CENELEC BT WG STAIR Secretary, and Eveline Domini, EURAMET Standardisation Support & Facilitator, and gives an introduction to the process of EMPIR's normative calls.