Endorsement of proposal regulating ‘conflict minerals’

The Council of the European Union formally endorsed on 3 April 2017 a draft proposal establishing a system for supply chain self-certification of responsible importers of minerals originating in conflict-affected and high-risk areas.

The draft regulation on conflict minerals aims to prevent the minerals trade from funding conflict and human rights violations. It obliges all but the smallest EU importers of tin, tungsten, tantalum, gold to do 'due diligence' checks on their suppliers, and big manufacturers also need to disclose how they plan to monitor their sources to comply with the rules.

The original proposal was published by the Europen Commission in March 2014. An informal agreement on a compromise text between the Parliament and the Council of the European Union was reached in November 2016. The legislative chamber adopted the draft law in March 2017.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Conflict minerals http://www.europeansources.info/record/conflict-minerals/

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