Structure and activities

STATE AGENCY FOR METROLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL SURVEILLANCE (SAMTS) is the state surveillance authority.

SAMTS carries out the following activities:

  • Market surveillance of products placed on the market and/or put into service under the scope of the New Approach Directives;
  • Market surveillance of construction products; products related to the energy consumption as regards the eco design requirements; electrical and electronic equipment in relation to the restrictions of the use of certain dangerous substances and its waste;
  • Technical inspection of high-risk equipment;
  • Quality control of liquid fuels;
  • Metrological supervision;
  • Designation and supervision of conformity assessment bodies for products under the scope of the New Approach Directives;
  • Supervision of dam walls and related facilities.

At present SAMTS has 468 employees and the follow structure:

  • Management: President, Vice Presidents, Secretary General and financial surveyors;
  • General Administration:

a) Directorate “Financial and economic activities and project management” – D FEAPM;
b) Directorate “Administrative, legal and information services” – D ALIS

  • Specialized Administration:

a) Directorate General Market surveillance – GD MS;
b) Directorate General Technical inspection – GD TI;
c) Directorate General Quality control of liquid fuels – GD QCLF;
d) Directorate General Metrological supervision – GD MSv;
e) Directorate Designation of conformity assessment bodies – D DCAB;
f) Directorate General Supervision of dams and related facilities  – DG SDRF;
g) Directorate General Quality control of fuels for domestic heating – DG QCFDH

The SAMTS activities are regulated by following 10 laws:

  • Law on technical requirements for products (LTRP);
  • Law on consumer protection (LCP);
  • Law on protection against harmful influence of chemical substances and  mixtures (LPHICSM);
  • Law on ambient clean air (LACA);
  • Law on measurements (LM);
  • Law on automobile transport (LAT);
  • Waste management act (WMA);
  • Renewable energy sources law (RESL);
  • Law on tourism (LT);
  • Water Act.

Main objectives in carrying out the SAMTS activities are:

  • Protection of society and environment against dangerous and non-complying with the essential requirements products, false measuring results, dangerous for use high risk equipment  and liquid fuels of poor quality;
  • Ensuring equal conditions for marketing of products (falling within the scope of the Ordinances under article 7 of LTRP) and construction products, measuring instruments, high risk equipment and liquid fuels on the Bulgarian market as part of the single European market;
  • Ensuring equal conditions preventing from unfair competition;
  • Assistance to the functioning of the national conformity assessment system.

The Main objectives in carrying out the SAMTS activities are strategic and operative.