Immediately after the referendum, Metric Views provided some initial thoughts on the outcome. Now, as the dust begins to settle, there is time for a more general view. Over the next four weeks, we shall look at the UK’s relationship with continental Europe, summarize how the current measurement muddle came about, examine the EU’s involvement, and finally speculate on the future course of events.
Continue reading “Continental Europe, offshore islanders and measurement muddle”
There have been recent reports in the press a butcher in Devon has started to sell meat in pounds and ounces after the UK had voted to leave the EU in a national referendum on 23 June 2016. This butcher is now giving customers the choice to buy meat in pounds and ounces or in grams and kilograms.
Continue reading “Why can’t weights and measures be left to the free market?”
On 23 June 2016, the British people voted to leave the European Union. After all 382 voting areas of the UK declared their results, Leave had a total of 17 410 742 votes (52% of the total vote) and Remain a total of 16 141 241 votes (48% of the total), on a turnout of 72% of a total electorate of 46 million.
Many issues have been raised in the referendum campaign. The UK measurement muddle has not been one of them. Ronnie Cohen comments on the campaign so far.
Continue reading “Metrication not an issue in EU referendum”
In February, the Prime Minister confirmed the date of the referendum which will decide whether the United Kingdom remains in or leaves the European Union (EU). The referendum will take place on 23 June 2016. In this article, Ronnie Cohen looks at some measurement issues related to the decision on EU membership.
This week, Ronnie Cohen takes a look at the long-forgotten 1972 White Paper on Metrication.
The concluding article of this series looks at the ignominious end of the UK’s attempt, began fifty years ago, to make the transition to a single, simple and universal measurement system.
On EU product labels, metric units are mandatory whereas non-metric units are optional. On US product labels, both metric and US customary (USC) units are mandatory for most products. So a company that wants to sell a product in the EU and the US must use metric and USC on the label unless it produces separate labels for the two markets.
Continue reading “How US labelling requirements undermine honest labelling in the UK”
Problems of sovereign debt in the eurozone have seen the UK side-tracked in EU decision making, and, say some commentators, headed for the exit. Is this situation likely to impact on the UK’s stalled metric changeover?
A recent posting by NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology) has prompted this question: Are American labelling requirements now illegal under WTO rules?
Continue reading “Will the European Commission challenge US labelling rules?”
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