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 diamonds (1), 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:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2368/2002 is amended as follows:

(1) Annex II is replaced by the text set out in Annex I to this Regulation.

(2) Annex III is replaced by the text set out in Annex II to this Regulation.

(3) Annex IV is replaced by the text set out in Annex III to this Regulation.

(4) Annex V is replaced by the text set out in Annex IV to this Regulation.

Article 2

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

However, point 3 of Article 1 shall apply from 1 January 2013.

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

Done at Brussels, 12 October 2012.

For the Commission Catherine ASHTON Vice-President

(1) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p.28.