EU partnership on metrology

The IA underpinning the proposal on the EU partnership on metrology is based on solid sources. The relatively narrow range of options is pre-determined by the Horizon Europe provisions, and the mostly qualitative and comparative assessment gravitates early on towards the preferred option. While subsidiarity, competitiveness and coherence with the overarching political priorities are consistently addressed, the consideration of benefits and costs of the options could have been more complete and precise. The role of the actors in the metrology ‘value chain’ under both the current and the future scheme could have been better explained. The IA does not include budgetary implications nor effects of the Covid-19 pandemic (justified by the ongoing negotiations at the time of drafting the IA), nor does it assess certain novelties of the Horizon Europe partnerships, such as additionally and directionality.