WRITTEN QUESTION E-0382/02 by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Council. Ban on diamond imports from Sierra Leone.
Date: 2002-02-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, European Commission, Sierra Leone, application of EU law, exchange of information, import restriction, originating product, precious stones

C 229 E/84

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

As for the meetings of Members of the Commission and members of their private offices in the exercise of
their duties and at the initiative of representatives from Arthur Andersen or their lawyers, the Commission
is able to provide the following information to the Honourable Members:

(cid:29) in June 2000 a member of the private office of the Member of the Commission responsible for
enterprise and the information society was given a presentation by representatives from Arthur
Andersen on a benchmarking report prepared by the company for a European entrepreneurs’
association;

(cid:29) in February 2001 a member of the private office of the Member of the Commission responsible for
education and culture attended a presentation by representatives from Arthur Andersen of e-learning
projects which the company had developed for French companies;

(cid:29) in November 2001 and again in January 2002 a member of the private office of the Vice-President of
the Commission responsible for personnel and administration took part in information meetings with
representatives from Andersen on the methods used by the firm to conduct a study on a cost-benefit
analysis of the possible outsourcing of certain services.

(1) Andersen Consulting LLP (which recently changed its trading name to Accenture LLP) and Arthur Andersen LLP
have been separate legal entities and have operated independently since 1989. In 1990, the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission formally recognised Andersen Consulting LLP as an entity separate and distinct from
Arthur Andersen LLP.
(2) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.
(3) OJ C 359, 15.12.2001, points 7.19 to 7.32.
(4)

In some cases associated with other similar firms.

(2002/C 229 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0382/02

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Council

(22 February 2002)

Subject: Ban on diamond imports from Sierra Leone

On 11 January the Council of Ministers adopted a common position extending the ban on imports of
uncut diamonds from Sierra Leone until 5 December 2002.

Can the Council assess the degree of compliance with this ban to date?

Reply

(26 June 2002)

On 18 February 2002 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 303/2002 concerning the importation into
the Community of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone. By this Regulation, Common Position 2002/22/
CFSP concerning a prohibition on imports of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone is implemented within
the Community.

The Commission is responsible for assessing the degree to which the ban introduced by Council
Regulation (EC) No 303/2002 has been complied with to date. The Commission makes its assessment on
the basis of inter alia information communicated by the Member States concerning breach and other
enforcement problems or judgments handed down by national courts. The Commission and the Member
States are required to supply each other with such information under Article 6 of the Regulation.

The Council suggests that the Honourable Member should address his question to the relevant institution.