Strasbourg, 19/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - A tight vote is expected on Wednesday 20 May, in the European Parliament's first-reading adoption of a draft regulation tabled by the European Commission in spring 2014 to limit the financing of military and armed groups in conflict zones, such as the Great Lakes region in DRC and Eastern Africa, through the mining and sales of certain minerals - tin, gold, tantalum and tungsten - which are vital for the production of high-tech equipment and products.
More specifically, the MEPs are divided over whether the obligatory certification system proposed by the Commission should apply to all levels of the supply chain of minerals from conflict or high-risk areas or, as the European Executive proposes, just to importers, foundries and refineries, which represent just 5% of the global market. Instead of forcing the companies which use these minerals to produce their products to state where the minerals they use come from, this system would make traceability merely an option for them.
On 14 April, however, the committee on international trade of the EP defeated, by a small majority (22 votes to 16 and 2 abstentions), a proposal which would bring in a binding principle of transparency for the entire supply chain of conflict minerals.
The rapporteur, Iuliu Winkler (EPP, Romania), explained that “the aim is to draft effective, balanced and viable legislation, to put an end to the profits generated by the trade in minerals used to finance armed conflicts, whilst promoting responsible procurement practices in conflict areas”. “The clash between the obligatory and the voluntary approach to the rules is a non-issue. The real challenge is drafting effective and viable legislation”, he added.
At the debate proceeding the vote on Tuesday 19 May, those in favour of a binding system - the Social Democrats (S&D), the Greens (Greens/EFA), the radical left (GUE/NGL) and the dissidents, such as the Belgian Liberal Louis Michel, reiterated their calls for an obligatory procedure for the entire supply chain and warned against a vote which is unworthy of the EP. (Emmanuel Hagry)