S.I. No. 579 of 2001

European Communities (Hallmarking of Articles Imported from Other Member States) Regulations, 2001.

I, Mary Harney, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 ( No. 27 of 1972 ), hereby make the following regulations:

1.        These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Hallmarking of Articles Imported from Other Member States) Regulations, 2001.

2.        In these Regulations -

“the Company” has the meaning assigned to it by the Hallmarking Act, 1981 (No. 18 of 1981) ;

“Dublin Assay Office” means the assay office of the Company;

“international hallmark” means an international hallmark notified in accordance with the Convention of the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals.

3.        Notwithstanding any provision of the Hallmarking Act, 1981 (No. 18 of 1981) or Regulations made thereunder, an article -

(a)      made from precious metal,

(b)      imported from another Member State,

(c)      marketed in Ireland, and

(d)      to which an independent body in another Member State has, in accordance with the law of that State, applied a hallmark and sponsor's or maker's mark, as appropriate, that provides information that is both intelligible to consumers in Ireland and equivalent to the information provided by the marks referred to in the Hallmarking Act, 1981 and Regulations made under that Act,

shall not be required to bear an approved hallmark applied by the Dublin Assay Office or an international hallmark.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The purpose of these Regulations is to provide that articles consisting of or containing gold, silver or platinum marketed in Ireland with hallmarks lawfully applied in another Member State, with a sponsor's or maker's mark, applied by a body which offers a guarantee of independence, and which provide the consumer with information that is intelligible to consumers in Ireland and equivalent to the marks referred to in the Hallmarking Act and to the Regulations made under the Act do not require any further assay or hallmark in Ireland.

Published by the Stationary Office, Dublin2.