Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 947/2012

of 12 October 2012

amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002 implementing the Kimberley Process certification scheme for the international trade in rough diamonds

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002 of 20 December 2002 implementing the Kimberley Process certification scheme for the international trade in rough diamonds1, and in particular Articles 19(6) and 20 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

Following a provisional acceptance at the Washington Intersessional meeting in June 2012, Kimberley Process Participants approved, by written procedure, the addition of Cameroon to the list of KP Participants. That approval was confirmed by a KP Chair notice on 14 August 2012.

(2)

By virtue of the Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force on 1 December 2009, the European Union replaced and succeeded the European Community. In order to improve the functionality of the certificate as defined in Article 2(g) of Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002, certain characteristics laid out in Annex IV to that Regulation should be amended to reflect this change. However, it is necessary to provide a realistic time frame for the competent authorities of the Union to adapt to this change taking into account the time needed to ensure the availability of the new certificate.

(3)

Furthermore, the addresses of the European Union and the Swiss contact points in Annex II, the list of Member States’ competent authorities in Annex III, and the list of diamond organisations in Annex V should be updated.

(4)

Annexes II, III, IV and V to Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002 should be amended accordingly.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the committee referred to in Article 22 of Regulation 2368/2002,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: