Articles made of precious metal

The Council held a policy debate on the proposal for a directive on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to articles of precious metal. The basis for the debate was a compromise suggested by the Presidency involving two main points, namely: - a requirement that the symbol of the notified body (the assay office) be struck on the article; - the possibility, subject to clearly-defined conditions including the one mentioned above, of the manufacturer himself certifying that his articles conform to the essential requirements of the Directive. The Council noted that there was still disagreement over these basic features of the Directive and instructed the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue examining the proposal with the aim of bringing the delegations’ positions closer together.