Brussels, 17/05/2016 (Agence Europe) -The Dutch Presidency of the EU spoke of a convergence of positions at the Council, at the EU trade ministers meeting on Friday 13 May, as regards the draft legislation on conflict minerals - an issue that has been bogged down in trilogue with the European Parliament.
“We reviewed the situation. We have moved more and more towards convergence since the start of the trilogue negotiations on 1 February. The European Parliament, the Commission and Council agreed in principle on obligatory 'due diligence' for imports of tin, gold, tantalum and tungsten, and on a code of conduct for companies. The issue remains of knowing what to do with companies that import processed products containing these minerals”, Dutch Trade Minister Lilianne Ploumen stated at the end of the meeting.
“There is a convergence of positions but we are not yet totally in agreement. We have outlined a general framework for a potential compromise solution. The member states said they were in favour of the Dutch Presidency's move. So we will continue the work and invite the Parliament and Commission for a fourth trilogue in June”, Ploumen added, giving assurances of “having a mandate to negotiate on this basis” with the European Parliament.
The trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament on conflict minerals (aiming at limiting the financing of armed and military groups in conflict areas by the trade of tin, gold, tantalum and tungsten) were still at a standstill at the end of the three negotiation sessions at the start of February (see EUROPE 11526).
This draft legislation aims to encourage EU companies to behave responsibly as regards the supply in trade of these minerals from specific regions (the DRC and the Great Lakes region). It provides for a voluntary self-certification mechanism for companies wishing to import these minerals or metals responsibly into the EU.
The self-certification mechanism is the main stumbling block in the trilogue negotiations - with the European Parliament in favour of a binding approach, but the Council favouring a voluntary system.
To bring the positions closer together, the Commission, which proposed initial draft legislation in March 2014 (see EUROPE 11032) on which the Parliament decided in May 2015 not to close the position in first reading (see EUROPE 11318), made an alternative proposal in February - a mid-way compromise proposing a binding regime upstream of the supply chain (smelters, refiners, including the initial processing of raw ores and metal ores. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)