Further element to reduce bureaucracy:
federal cabinet adopts simplifications for smart metergateways in me asurement and calibration law

Today, the Federal Government adopted the drafts of a Third Act amending the Measurement and Calibration Act and of a Fourth Ordinance amending the Measurement and Calibration Ordinance submitted by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck following the decision by the German Bundestag of 19 April 2023.

The amendments to measurement and calibration law – like the solar package, which was also adopted by the cabinet today – is a further element to reduce bureaucracy. The amendments include simplifications in measurement and calibration law for smart meter gateways.

Smart meter gateways are subject to measurement and calibration law. This means that until now all requirements of measurement and calibration law have also applied to smart meter gateways although the Metering Point Operation Act (MsbG) and the technical guidelines and protection profiles of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) already contain specific requirements for the data security especially of smart meter gateways and its monitoring. It is therefore important to streamline the relevant provisions and avoid duplicate regulation.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is pressing ahead with the reduction of bureaucracy by means of the simplifications, an unlimited calibration period for smart meter gateways, and provisions to ensure that software updates do not result in an earlier end to the calibration period for smart meter gateways. Furthermore, it facilitates the smart digitisation of the energy transition by reducing impediments.

You can find the draft amendments to measurement and calibration law (in German) here (draft Act) and here (Ordinance).