Hallmarking within the EU

[SteveLAO]

hmm...how do you feel about the British Standards Institute..might you consider them restrictive practices too?

I think we all agree that hallmarking is far more than "nice"...it was introduced to stop the cowboys selling the unsuspecting public tat purporting to be valuable, a job which it very successfully does today. Of course it adds to cost...and it also adds to value. Everyone has to have it done, so everyone adds the cost on. The extra cost doesn't penalise one trader over the other...assuming of course they're both law abiding!! People look to the hallmark as their guarantee that they are getting what they are paying for. The red tape challenge a wee while ago showed overwhelming support for the British hallmark which is why it remains today and wasn't abolished under the government proposals. The European convention on hallmarks ensures the free trade between EU countries, and in order to join the convention the country has to demonstrate the same methods of assaying and tolerances. Standards were recognised between countries but only running alongside each country's national standards. This enables member states to trade the same things, tested to the same standards by the same methods, and so ensuring fair trade between member states.

[pearlescence]

BSI is not mandatory.
The Hallmarking convention is not a european union body (obviously since Israel is a members). It is a body organised by some states around the world. European union law applies in each member state equally and is law. From what is on the website this is more of a mutual recognition convention.