Hallmarks for goods made from a precious metal

Communication No .../ 2016 of the President of the Assay Office

The proposed Communication No .../2016 of the President of the Assay Office notifies that in connection with the judgment of the Court of Justice of 22 September 2016 (Case C-525/14, European Commission vs Czech Republic), if certain conditions are met, it is necessary to consider some official Dutch hallmarks on goods made from precious metals to be equivalent to Czech hallmarks.Pursuant to the communication, Dutch hallmarks are recognised as valid in the Czech Republic, if:- the hallmark was placed on goods made of a precious metal by an authorised body that performs assays and places hallmarks only within the Netherlands;- the hallmark was placed on goods made of a precious metal by an authorised body that performs assays and places hallmarks both within and outside the Netherlands, and the goods in question were assayed and marked with a hallmark within the Netherlands; the place where the goods were assayed and marked with a hallmark must in this case be supported by documentary proof;- the hallmark was placed on goods made of a precious metal by an authorised body that performs assays and places hallmarks both within and outside the Netherlands, and the goods in question were assayed and marked with a hallmark outside the Netherlands, and these goods were legally placed on the market in a Member State of the EU whose legislation requires hallmarking by an independent body, and this placement on the market was connected with an assay performed by the relevant authority or subject of this Member State within its territory; performance of the assay in connection with placement on the market in a Member State of the EU must be supported by documentary proof.Keywords: precious metals, hallmarks