Clarification EU Restrictive Measures ZMDC

In light of recent articles in the press, we would like to offer you some clarification regarding the recent developments regarding Zimbabwe and the EU Restrictive Measures vis-à-vis the mining company Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC).

The European Restrictive Measures aimed at ZMDC remain in force and can only be lifted one month after the presidential and parliamentary elections that will take place later this year. This would make the diamond import from Zimbabwe/Marange to Europe possible again.

However, the Council communicated two important conditions:

The sanctions will not be lifted if:

• the Council  agrees that the elections were not peaceful, transparent and credible;
• the Council finds there are reasonable grounds to believe that ZMDC has been involved in activities undermining democracy during the elections.

As a consequence, diamonds produced by the ZMDC cannot currently be imported into the EU and Belgian market.

The measures as described in the decisions of 15/12/2011 and 15/02/2012 remain in force.

The full text of the Council decision can be found here:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:046:0037...