Conflict Minerals: EU Conflict Minerals Legislation Risks Being Quietly Shelved

May 20, 2016 | Julian Hale, Equal Times
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Since 2014 the European Union, which Global Witness calls a “major player” in the trade, has been working on a law aimed at getting manufacturers to stop buying those minerals that wind up in electronic devices such as mobile phones or laptops or other products such as engines or jewellery. Now locked in so-called “trilogue” talks between the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission, the main sticking point is whether it should be binding, as the Parliament wants, or left to industries to self-regulate, as supported by the Council and Commission. Proponents say the clock is ticking: they say when the Dutch rotating EU presidency runs out at the end of June, the legislation risks being quietly shelved.