Conflict Minerals: EU’s Proposed Regulation on Conflict Minerals – Part I

Feb 3, 2015 | Squire Patton Boggs, Dynda A. Thomas, and Kate Stokes, Lexology
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The European Union (EU) is considering legislation that would regulate the importation of conflict minerals into the EU. The European Commission announced its proposed regulation on March 5, 2014. The draft regulation contains proposals for a voluntary self-certification process for importers of conflict minerals (tin, tantalum, and tungsten and gold) into the EU from anywhere in the world.

Legislative Process

The EU legislative process is complex and involves three main players: the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council. The European Commission proposes legislation. The European Parliament and the Council (made up of the member states) must agree on and adopt the legislation before it can become law.