The 92ndmeeting of the Standing Committee (SC) took place in Vicenza (Italy) on 5 September 2024. It was the first SC meeting hosted in Italy since its accession to the Convention on 15 December 2023.
The SC was preceded by two working group meetings: the Working Group on European Union met on 4 September 2024 in the morning while the Working Group on Vision and Strategy met in the afternoon (see under “Reports from the Working Groups”).
As part of the participants’ programme, a round visit of the Vicenza Assay Office (Laboratorio Metalli Preziosi - Made in Vicenza - Camera di Commercio Vicenza) and a visit of the International Jewellery Fair of Vicenza (Vicenzaoro) were organised on 6 September 2024. The SC Chairman, Scott Walter (Edinburgh Assay Office), and the Head of the Vicenza Assay Office, Dr Gianluca Pozza, also gave a presentation on the Convention at the Vicenza fair on 7 September 2024.
Opening
The SC meeting was opened by Mr Giorgio Xoccato, President of the Vicenza Chamber of Commerce. The SC was attended by 54 officials representing 20 out of 22 Contracting States, 1 Applicant State (Ukraine) and 2 Technical Programme Participants (TPPs): Moldova and KRISOS / Spain.
In his opening remarks, the SC Chairman, Scott Walter (Edinburgh Assay Office), thanked Mr Xoccato and the Vicenza Chamber of Commerce for the invitation, the organisation of the various meetings and visits as well as the social programme. The SC Chairman was assisted during the meeting by the First Deputy Chairman, Mr Thomas Brodmann (Swiss Assay Office), and the Second Deputy Chairman, Mr Peters Brangulis (Assay Office of Latvia) who is also the Chairman of the Standing Technical Group (STG).
Operation of the Convention
The SC reviewed the operation of the Convention and discussed, amongst other proposals, a paper by the SC Chairman on the regulatory challenges posed by precious metal jewellery sales on electronic marketplaces, which often do not meet the premarket authorisation or post market traceability requirements required by law in many countries. Members expressed concerns on the control of precious metals articles, sold by e-platforms, and agreed to establish a Working Group.
The SC also established an Organising Committee for the Convention’s 50th Anniversary, which will be celebrated jointly with the 30th anniversary of the Cyprus Assay Office on 8-10 October 2024 in the Larnaca area (Cyprus) – see “Next Meetings” below. The OC will help review and develop the 50th Anniversary Programme and actively support the Cyprus Assay Office on organisational issues. It will also act as Judging Panel for the 50th Anniversary Logo Competition, which was officially launched in Vicenza.
The SC reviewed the membership application by Sri Lanka (not attending) and Ukraine (attending) and was provided with an update on contacts with France and developments in Spain.
The SC noted that the number of articles marked with the Common Control Mark (CCM) increased by +1.9% in the first half of 2024. During this period, the Italian Assay Offices of Alessandria, Arezzo and Vicenza marked their first precious metals articles with the CCM.
Reports from the Working Groups
The SC reviewed the work carried out by the following three Working Groups:
- Working Group on Vision and Strategy (WGVS);
- Working Group for engagement with the European Union (WGEU); and
- Working Group on Model Law (WGML).
In line with its new mandate, the Working Group on Vision and Strategy (WGVS), chaired by Doug Henry (Birmingham Assay Office), started working on the implementation of the Convention’s vision and strategies as well as addressing obstacles regarding remote participation, based on draft proposals made by Prof Andreas Ziegler (University of Lausanne), Legal Adviser to the SC, and the Secretariat. The proposals consist in an interpretation guide to the Convention and a revision of the SC’s Rules of Procedure.
These proposals were also presented to the SC, which supported the general approach and direction while waiting for Prof. Ziegler and the Secretariat to complete their proposals and for the WGVS to review them.
The Working Group on the European Union (WGEU) discussed the various case studies, prepared by Prof. Claudio Tomassini (Italy), to illustrate the acceptance of the CCM by EU Member States (MS) in light of the principle of mutual recognition. The WGEU also endorsed a proposal by the Secretariat to create a specific webpage on the Convention’s website, dedicated to EU matters, with hyperlinks to the Mutual Recognition Regulation (MRR), Product Contact Points (PCP) and the compilation of legislation on precious metal control in all EU/EEA Member States (MS) and selected Non-EU MS, prepared by Prof. Tomassini.
The Working Group on Model Law (WGML), co-ordinated by Richard Sanders (UK), integrated Members’ comments to the draft guidelines on model law. The SC mandated the STG and the Secretariat to review the draft model law for both technical and terminological consistency.
Technical discussions
The Second Deputy Chairman and STG Chairman, Peters Brangulis (Assay Office of Latvia), reported on the 36th STG meeting held in Porto (Portugal) on 17°June 2024, which mainly focused on issues related to the Round Robin, the Convention’s interlaboratory proficiency testing scheme on precious metals.
The STG Deputy Co-Chair, Katarzyna Nadara (Polish Regional Assay Office in Warsaw) presented the outcome of RR 57 (gold) and RR 58 (silver) organised in the first half of 2024.
The SC noted the alloy composition for RR 59, 60 & 61 on gold, silver and platinum to be organised in the first half of 2025. It also endorsed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Metalor S.A., the supplier of RR material.
The SC approved a revision of the Guidelines on Independence of Assay Offices. The STG will now revise the related questionnaire based on risk management principles in line with the SC’s mandate.
The SC adopted two new Assaying and Marking Practice (AMP) cases, presented by the Swiss Assay Office and supported by the STG: the first on functional coatings for platinum articles and the second on a new approach on coatings consisting in listing those banned rather than those permitted. The STG will prepare a related revision of the Compilation of Technical Decisions.
The SC noted the launching of a new Round Robin on Marking, which will both on punch and laser marking of CCM type 1 and type 2. The related silver plates were distributed to participants by the Sheffield Assay Office in Vicenza. The outcome will be documented and analysed by the Assay Office of Latvia.
Co-operation with CIBJO
A meeting with the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) was organised in the margins of the SC meeting and attended by Dr Gaetano Cavalieri (CIBJO President), Mr Steven Benson (CIBJO Director of Communication), Scott Walter (SC Chairman), Thomas Brodmann (SC First Deputy Chairman), Prof. Claudio Tomassini (Italy / Unioncamere), and the Secretariat. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss areas of possible co-operation between the two organisations such as on the revision of CIBJO’s Precious Metals Book, which is originally based on the Conventions’ requirements, as contained in the Convention’s Annexes and Technical Decisions.
Other news
- The SC reviewed the Convention’s financial situation, which is healthy, in particular the accounts for 2023 and the Treasurer Report on the Technical Programme Accounts for the period 2020-2023 and 2024-2027
- The SC noted that the Secretariat has updated and posted the information brochure on the Convention’s website. As a next step, country profiles from TPP & OBS will be added.
- The SC mandated the Secretariat to establish a list of authorised Assay Offices, applying the CCM type 2.
Next SC meetings
The next SC meeting will be held in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of Cyprus Organisation for the Hallmarking of Precious Metals and the 50th anniversary of the Convention on 8-10 October 2025 in the Larnaca area.
The 2026 spring meeting, which will a hybrid event allowing for remote participation, will take place in Geneva (Switzerland) in the first half of 2026.