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Article

6 May 2019

Author:
SOMO & 12 others

NGOs urge EU Commission & member states to implement conflict minerals regulation properly

 "European Commission urged to implement Regulation on ‘conflict minerals’ properly", 26 April 2019

The extraction, transport, and trade of minerals have been linked to conflict, corruption, and human rights abuses for decades...

 [T]he European Regulation for the responsible sourcing of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG) from conflict-affected and high-risk areas [...] came into force in June 2017 [and] imposes a due-diligence obligation on European importers of 3TG ores and metals sourced from conflict-affected and high-risk areas anywhere in the world. 

While most provisions included in the Regulation will take effect from the 1st January 2021, steps are already being taken by the European Commission and EU Member States to prepare the ground...

The policy note provides a critical assessment of the state of implementation of the Regulation. It also addresses recommendations to the Commission and Member States to duly fulfil their obligations under the Regulation, among others:

  • The Commission should base their assessment of due diligence schemes not only on their policies and standards, but also on the actual implementation thereof, or make clear that an assessment of implementation has not taken place.
  • Member States should ensure that Customs Agencies make the list of national importers available to Competent Authorities and the Competent Authorities should make this list available to the public
  • Appropriate measures should be put in place to sanction non-compliance by national importers with the Regulation’s due diligence obligations.