. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/GBR/23 
9 December 2011  
 (11-6412) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED KINGDOM  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  National Measurement Office (Execu tive Agency of the Department 
for Business, Innovation and Skills) 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :   
National Measurement Office, Stanton Ave nue, Teddington, Middl esex TW11 0JZ, UK 
Tel.:  +44(0)20 8943 7272 
Fax:  +44 (0)20 8943 7270 Email:  info@nmo.gov.uk  
Website:  http://www.bis.gov.uk/nmo  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Articles of precious metal 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  The Legislative Reform 
(Hallmarking) Order 2012 (3 pages, in English).     
6. Description of content:  The key provision in the Order will amend the Hallmarking Act 
1973 so as to widen the scope of the hallmarking op erations of the UK Assay Offices to as to 
enable the setting up of overseas operations. The Offices will thus have the opportunity, 
currently denied them, to hallmark in locations other than in the UK.  
We are therefore proposing to amend section 2( 1) of the Hallmarking Act which defines the 
meaning of approved hallmarks by adding a furt her alternative in relation to marks struck 
outside the United Kingdom by an Assay Office. These marks are to be struck in the same 
manner as if carried out in the UK but with an assay office mark approved by the BHC. This 
will enable the Assay offices to mark offshore if they so wish. 
We are also proposing to ma ke related changes to the Hallmarking Act as follows: 
- providing sponsors and manufacturers with a wider choice of sponsors' marks than 
 the 1973 Act currently a llows (Section 3(3)); 
- permitting articles of silver, gold and pla tinum to be coated with platinum without 
 having to obtain the consent in writing of the relevant Assay Of fice (Section 5(5)); G/TBT/N/GBR/23 
Page 2  
 
  - making provision for the British Hallmarking Council to authorise an Assay Office to 
 carry on its business outside  the UK (Section 13(2)(e)). 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  To 
enable the UK Assay Offices to compete on level terms with their European counterparts.  
8. Relevant documents:   The draft LRO.   
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:  90 days from the notification date  
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addres ses, if available of the other body:   P a u l  C o l e ,  
National Measurement Office (contact details as above). 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2011/tbt/GBR/11_4190_00_e.pdf