NEW DELHI, JULY 08, 2010: THE Union Cabinet today approved the proposal for Accession by India to Convention on Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals known as Vienna Convention 1972.

Accession of India to the Vienna Convention will result in technological upgradation of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres in the country and their recognition by the members of the Vienna Convention, apart from facilitating export of jewellery articles. Assaying Centres recognized by the Convention countries will be authorized to put the Common Control Mark (CCM) on jewellery articles of precious metals meant for exports. Jewellery articles marked for exports by such recognized Assaying Centres in India would not be subjected to further tests for purity in the member countries of Vienna Convention, thus facilitating export of jewellery items from India. Upgradation and international recognition of Assaying Centres will also result in improvements in the quality of gold jewellery articles in the domestic market, thus benefiting the Indian consumers.

The higher level of consumer awareness about the purity of jewellery articles will make the jewellers in India more accountable to the Indian consumers.

The Convention on Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals is an international treaty among States to facilitate cross border trade in precious metal articles. It was signed by seven Members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in Vienna in November, 1972 and came into force in 1975. The Convention has 18 members now with 11 more countries, viz. Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovak Republic and Poland joining later. The Convention aims to facilitate trade in precious metal articles and promote consumer protection. It also provides for a common set of technical requirements useful for independent third party verification (hallmarking) and a Common Control Mark indicating fineness.