11/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has welcomed the recent decision of the Kimberley Process to publish, for the first time, figures on rough diamond production and trade data. Statistical data on diamond trade and production for 2004 and 2005 is now available at: https: //mmsd1.mms.nrcan.gc.ca/kimberleystats/publicstats.asp. 2006 data will be made available later in the year. “This contributes directly to one of the main aims of the Commission as Chairman of the Kimberley Process this year. We are determined to continue to eliminate hiding places for conflict diamonds in the legitimate, Kimberley-certified trade,” said Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner this week. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was launched in 2002 by governments, civil society and the diamond industry in response to the role of diamonds in funding devastating civil wars in Africa during the 1990s. It includes all major producing, trading and cutting countries, and represents 71 countries (44 states and the European Commission representing all 27 EU member states). (hb)