The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The EU, including in its capacity as chair of the Kimberley Process (KP) Working Group on Monitoring (WGM), was among the first to express both to the Democratic Republic of Congo Chair and wider KP participants, that the recent authorisation to trade Marange diamonds cannot be considered valid or applicable as it is outside the mandate of the chair and contrary to the core KP principle of consensual decision-making.
The EU also expressed concerns about the uncertainty it creates for KP participants, the diamond industry and consumers, and urged the chair to clarify the situation as a matter of urgency. To this end, the EU has also contacted the chairs of the other KP working groups and is taking steps to organise an emergency meeting of the WGM to discuss the issue as a matter of urgency.