Recital (2)

The scope and the associated essential requirements covered by Directive 2014/32/EU were established by Directive 2004/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of which Directive 2014/32/EU is a recast. Technical requirements have remained unchanged for more than 20 years. In the meantime, new measuring instruments that do not fall within the scope of Directive 2014/32/EU have appeared on the market. That is the case, in particular, for measuring systems for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and measuring systems for compressed gas dispensers, which are important for the successful development of clean mobility. Moreover, Directive 2014/32/EU does not set out requirements for thermal energy meters for cooling applications. In addition, in relation to electricity and gas meters, Directive 2014/32/EU does not adequately provide for the use of direct current, hydrogen or other fuel gases that can be used as alternatives to more traditional fuel gases, nor does it allow for full advantage to be taken of smart metering which plays an important role in achieving the Union’s climate objectives. Therefore, it is appropriate to amend both the scope of Directive 2014/32/EU and the essential requirements set out in the Annexes to that Directive in a targeted way in order to take technological developments into account. The placing on the market of measuring instruments should be addressed in a systematic and comprehensive way through a general revision of Directive 2014/32/EU, including a revision of Annex I and instrument-specific Annexes, such as Annex III covering water meters, to adapt the current Union framework to technological developments.