Geneva (16 March 2015): The 76th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) took place in Tel Aviv (Israel) on 10 March 2015 under the chairmanship of Mr Ronald W.A. Le Bas (Irish Assay Office). The meeting was attended by 42 officials representing 20 countries of which 17 Contracting States, 2 Applicant States (Croatia and Serbia) and guest from Georgia.
The SC recommended to Governments to invite both Croatia and Serbia to join the Convention (see separate press release).
It discussed the situation in the Ukraine, which is in the process of acceding, and agreed to ask the Depositary to write to the Ukrainian Government in order to clarify the situation following the liquidation of the Central Office of the Ukrainian State Assay Office (the regional Assay Offices will remain).
The SC discussed issues related to the competence of Assay Offices, authorised under Article 5 of the Convention, as well as their ability to test and mark precious metals articles in line with the Convention's Annexes and related Technical Decisions.
The SC noted with satisfaction that the number of articles, marked with the Convention's Common Control Mark (CCM), had increased by 12% in 2014 and totalled 5,996,217 articles, of which 35.3% were off-site marked.
The Chairman of the Standing Technical Group (STG), Mr Thomas Brodmann (Swiss Assay Office), provided a report on the last STG meeting held in Geneva on 12 January 2015, during which Mr Jan van Pelt (Waarborg Holland) was elected STG Deputy Chairman. The SC followed a recommendation by the STG to request all Ministries to update the questionnaire on the independence of Assay Offices.
The SC noted that the preparations of the Convention's 40th Anniversary were on track. The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Dr Robert Organ (Assay Office London), provided an update and presented a first draft of the 40th Anniversary Brochure.
Members bid farewell to Ms Helena Felgas (Portuguese Assay Offices) and the Mr János Teleszky (Hungarian Assay Authority) who attended the SC for the last time - see photos below.
The SC agreed to reconvene in London (United Kingdom) on 10 September 2015 in connection with the Convention's 40th Anniversary.