STATE AGENCY FOR METROLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL SURVEILLANCE (SAMTS) is the state surveillance authority performing the national policy in the field of:

• Market surveillance of products placed on the market and/or put into service under the scope of over 25 New Approach Directives;
• Technical inspection of high-risk equipment;
• Quality control of liquid fuels;
• Metrological supervision;
• Designation of conformity assessment bodies.

The SAMTS activities are regulated by the following 10 laws:

• Law on technical requirements for products (LTRP);
• Law on consumer protection (LCP);
• Law on environmental protection (LEP);
• Law on ambient clean air (LACA);
• Law on measurements (LM) ;
• Law on automobile transport (LAT);
• Waste management act (WMA);
• Law on medical devices (LMD);
• Renewable energy sources law (RESL),
• Law on tourism (LT).
  

Main objectives in carrying out SAMTS activities are:

• Protection of society and environment against dangerous and non-complying with the essential requirements industrial products, dangerous for use high risk equipment, false measuring results and liquid fuels of poor quality;
• Ensuring equal conditions for marketing of products, which fall within the competencies of SAMTS, on the Bulgarian market as part of the single European market;
• To support the functioning of the national conformity assessment system.

At present  SAMTS has 381 employees and the follow structure:

• Management (President, Vice President, Secretary General) and the units directly subordinated to the President;
• General Administration:
  • Directorate “Administrative, legal and information services”;
  • Directorate ”Financial and business activities and property management”;
• Specialized Administration:

• Market surveillance;
• Technical inspection;
• Quality control of liquid fuels;
• Metrological supervision;
• Planning, coordination, control and designation of conformity assessment bodies.

The specific results of SAMTS activities in the period 2009 - 2012 as well as the target values of realization indicators for 2013 can be seen in the table below:

* impossible to plan

In the light of EU growing requirements to the protection of society and environment against dangerous and non-complained with the essential requirements consumer products, dangerous for use high risk equipment, false measurements and liquid fuels of poor quality as well as in the light of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a common framework for the marketing of products, the SAMTS responsibilities and activities as a state surveillance authority will play more important role in ensuring the protection of life and health of persons, safety of domestic animals, the consumer interests and the protection of environment and property, when the placed on the market and/or put into service products are properly installed, maintained and used for their intended purpose.