Brussels, 15/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of a new trialogue (and expected agreement) between the European Parliament and Council of the EU on the draft regulation on trade in conflict minerals, the NGO Amnesty International urged the EU, during the evening of Wednesday 15 June, not “to squander a unique opportunity to play its part in tackling the conflict minerals trade”. The NGO called for companies that import products containing these minerals (tin, tantalum and tungsten) into the EU to be subjected to due care.
“The European Union risks undermining global efforts to tackle conflict minerals”, Amnesty International stated on Tuesday 14 June, fearing the Council and European Parliament might come to an agreement on the latest proposal presented by the Dutch Presidency of the Council - an agreement which Amnesty says “would have little impact”.
Under the terms of the Dutch Presidency compromise, Amnesty International says “only a small number of companies within Europe would be legally required to check and disclose if the minerals they buy are linked to conflict or human rights abuses”. “Most companies in Europe - including big brand companies that import products containing these minerals into the EU - would be left to choose whether or not to source them responsibly”, the NGO adds.
“What we're asking for is simple - that the European Union requires European companies to act with due care when buying these minerals or products. This is entirely in line with existing international standards that EU member states signed up to years ago [Ed: the OECD guidelines on due diligence]”, Amnesty International states.
“Instead, the EU is set to agree on a law that will have little to no meaningful impact and could in fact undermine the very global standards the EU has committed to uphold. The EU's immense trading leverage puts it in the perfect position to ensure companies selling goods within it are not profiting from human rights abuses and conflict”, the NGO adds, calling on the Council and Parliament “to match their international commitments to human rights with concrete action” and to agree on a law that ensures that companies take due care when importing both raw materials as well as the products containing them.
The trialogue negotiations on the draft regulation, proposed by the European Commission in March 2013 to limit the financing of military and armed groups in conflict zones through trade in tin, gold, tantalum and tungsten, are still in deadlock following three sessions of talks during the first quarter of 2016 (see EUROPE 11526). The Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU spoke of a convergence of positions at the Council during the trade ministers meeting on 13 May, paving the way for an agreement on this thorny issue before the end of the Dutch Presidency's term in office (see EUROPE 11552). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)