EC notifies Kimberley Process Chair of Full implementation
February 20, 03
The European Commission's External Relations Directorate has notified Kimberley Process Chairman Abby Chikane that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has been fully implemented in the European Union as of last Saturday, February 15.
Full text of the EU notification follows:
Council of the European Union lifted the suspension of a number of Articles of Regulation 2368/2002, by which the European Community implements the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (hereafter KPCS). This means that as of 12 February 2003 the European Community fully implements the KPCS: imports and exports of rough diamonds can only take place into and from the European Community if accompanied by a valid Kimberley Process Certificate issued and/or validated by the competent Community authorities.
By the same Regulation the Council of the European Union changed the definition of participant used for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002 in such a way that WTO members and independent customs territories that fulfill all the requirements of the KPCS and have notified this to the Chair, can be listed in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002.
By Commission Regulation (EC) 275/2003 (text attached) the European Commission has established the list of participants in the KPCS on the basis of your Final Notice of 31 January 2003. Additional listings will take place on the basis of the appropriate notifications by the Chair of the KPCS.
By the latter Regulation the European Commission has also established the two Community authorities that for the moment are authorised to validate Kimberley Process Certificates accompanying rough diamonds imported into the European Community and to issue and validate Community Kimberley Process Certificates to accompany rough diamonds exported from the Community.
The Commission would like to thank through you, Mr Chairman, all those participants that were able to implement the KPCS fully already as of 1 January 2003 and have found ways and means to accommodate the problems posed by the later full implementation by the European Community.
The Commission would kindly request the Chair of the KPCS to make this letter known to all participants, although a copy of it will already be sent by e-mail to all those contact points listed on the Kimberley Process web-site as per 19 February 2003.