THE HRD Diamond Office has announced that it is now offering a service for members of the diamond sector experiencing difficulties with European Union red tape, by liaising with Solvit, which is an on-line problem solving network in which EU Member States work together to solve, without legal proceedings, problems caused by the misapplication by public authorities of EU internal market law.

The Lead Solvit Center will confirm within a week whether or not it will take on the case, and will base its decision on whether it considers that the case is well-founded and whether there is a good chance that it can be resolved pragmatically. The target deadline for finding a solution to a problem is 10 weeks. If the solution to a problem requires the repeal of a national rule, Solvit can sometimes help persuade a member state to waive the offending rule pending its abolition. If a problem goes unresolved, an applicant can still pursue legal action through a national court or lodge a formal complaint with the European Commission.

Typical problems that may be experienced include with getting residence permits, getting professional qualifications recognized and registering a car, as well as range of issues concerning employment, social security and tax rights. Created in 2002, Solvit’s activities are coordinated by the European Commission, which provides its database facilities and, when necessary, helps to speed up the resolution of problems. There is a Solvit center in every European Union member state, as well as in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and they are geared to handle complaints from both citizens and businesses. After an application is made to a local center, which checks the details, it enters the information into on-line database, which is the forwarded to the Solvit center in the member state where the problem has occurred, known as the “Lead Solvit Center.”