Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 234/2004 concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Liberia and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1030/2003
Date: 2007-05-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Liberia, international sanctions, military equipment, precious stones, trade restriction, tropical wood

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 31.5.2007 
COM(2007) 296 final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

amending Regulation (EC) No 234/2004 concerning certain restrictive measures in 
respect of Liberia and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1030/2003 

(presented by the Commission) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

Council Regulation (EC) No 234/2004 concerning Liberia, as amended, implements a 
ban on the provision of certain services related to arms and military equipment and a 
ban  on  the  import  of  rough  diamonds,  in  accordance  with  Common  Position 
2007/193/CFSP and related Common Positions, and UN Security Council Resolution 
1521(2003) and other relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. 

By  means  of  Resolution  1753(2007)  of  27  April  2007,  the  UN  Security  Council 
decided, inter alia, to terminate the measures on diamonds.  

Subsequently,  Liberia  was  admitted  as  of  4  May  2007  to  the  Kimberley  Process 
Certification Scheme. Accordingly, Liberia will be listed by a Commission Regulation 
as  a  Participant  in  Annex  II  to  Regulation  (EC)  No  2368/2002  implementing  the 
Kimberley Process certification scheme for the international trade in rough diamonds. 

In view of this, the Commission proposes to repeal the provisions of Regulation (EC) 
No 234/2004 giving effect to the ban on import of rough diamonds from Liberia and 
the prohibition on circumvention of this ban. 

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Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

amending Regulation (EC) No 234/2004 concerning certain restrictive measures in 
respect of Liberia and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1030/2003 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 
60 and 301 thereof, 

Having 
2007/193/CFSP concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Liberia1, 

to  Common  Position  2007/…/CFSP  amending  Common  Position 

regard 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Common  Position  2004/137/CFSP  of  10  February  2004  concerning  restrictive 
measures  against  Liberia  provided  for  the  implementation  of  the  measures  set  out  in 
UNSCR  1521(2003)  concerning  Liberia,  including  inter  alia,  a  ban  on  the  import  of 
rough  diamonds  from  Liberia.  That  ban  was  most  recently  renewed  by  Common 
Position  2007/193/CFSP2  for  a  period  of  six  month.  On  27  April  2007,  the  UN 
Security  Council  adopted  Resolution  1753(2007).  It  decided,  inter  alia,  to  terminate 
the measures on diamonds. Subsequently, Liberia was admitted as of 4 May 2007 to 
the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. Accordingly, Liberia should be listed as 
a  Participant  in  Annex  II  to  Regulation  (EC)  No  2368/2002  implementing  the 
Kimberley Process certification scheme for the international trade in rough diamonds. 

Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  234/20043  prohibits,  inter  alia,  the  import  of  rough 
diamonds from Liberia. 

Article  6(1)  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  234/2004,  which  prohibits  the  import  into  the 
Community  of  rough  diamonds  from  Liberia,  and  Article  6(3)  which  prohibits 
circumvention of that prohibition, should therefore be repealed with retroactive effect 
to 27 April 2007,  

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OJ L [ ], [ .2007], p [ ]. 
OJ L 41, 13.2.2007, p 17. 
OJ L 40, 12.2.2004, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ L 
363, 20.12.2006, p. 1). 

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HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Paragraphs (1) and (3) of Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 234/2004 are deleted. 

Article 1 

Article 2 

This  Regulation  shall  enter  into  force  on  the  day  following  that  of  its  publication  in  the 
Official Journal of the European Union. 

It shall apply from 27 April 2007. 

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

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