DRC: 'Conflict Minerals' Funding Deadly Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo as EU Plans Laws to Clean Up Trade

May 16, 2015 | Sarah Morrison, The Independent
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The European Parliament is set to vote on its first conflict minerals regulation aimed at cleaning up the trade this coming week. The European Union accounted for more than  15 per cent of global imports in tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold in 2013, an amount valued at around €22.9bn. Yet it currently has no legislation compelling companies to check if their mineral purchases fund conflict or human rights abuses overseas.