WRITTEN QUESTION P-2509/01 by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Trade in conflict diamonds.
Date: 2001-09-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: financing, international trade, precious stones, the EU's international role, war

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/147

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2001)

The Commission is fully aware of the need to provide as much as possible all relevant documents on
Enlargement in the languages of the candidate countries. This is done, as part of the Commission’s
information and communication activities in the candidate countries,
in close collaboration with the
governments in these countries.
In the case of Poland, the Office for the Committee for European
Integration of the Polish government translates, as soon as possible, the Progress Report and many other
documents in Polish and publishes these both on paper and electronically. At the same time, the Office
publishes regularly the ‘Integration Monitor’,
including Polish versions of the major documents. Any
person contacting the infocentre in Poland will be fully informed about the possibility to obtain all relevant
documents in Polish in this way.

Similar arrangements exist in the other candidate countries. The Commission does and will do as much as
possible to assure that important documents are available in the languages of the candidate countries.

(2002/C 93 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2509/01

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(7 September 2001)

Subject: Trade in conflict diamonds

International ability to curb the trade in conflict diamonds is closely linked to the success of the Kimberley
Process. At present this process is moving forward slowly, partly because the European Union does not
have a common position. How soon does the Commission intend to submit to the Council a proposal for
a mandate for the Kimberley Process negotiations?

Furthermore, border checks on the import of diamonds, preventing conflict diamonds being imported into
the EU, require specialist knowledge on the part of the customs services. Does the Commission consider
that it would be useful to limit the points through which diamonds can be imported to one per Member
State so as to concentrate the expertise?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(10 October 2001)

The Kimberley Process represents a major international effort to curb the trade in conflict diamonds. Such
trade fuels conflict in particular in several countries in Africa.

together with several
The Commission has actively participated in the Kimberley Process meetings,
Member States. Progress on the Kimberley Process will be reported to the United Nations General
Assembly in December 2001, and a ministerial conference on process is due to take place in November
2001. The Commission intends to submit a proposal for a negotiating mandate to the Council well in
advance of the next meeting in Luanda 30 October 2001 : 1 November 2001.

their objectives that

The measures that are under consideration in the Kimberley Process consist of a certification scheme and
minimum standards for controlling production, transport, export, import and re-export. Participants have
set as one of
the scheme should be both effective and use a minimum of
administrative resources. Restricting the number of customs entry points is a measure that may be
considered at some stage in further technical discussions, but it does not appear as essential for the
operation of the certification scheme which is currently being discussed. The scheme should also respect
participants’ international obligations, in particular those accepted in the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
framework.