EU Regulation on Conflict Minerals Has Low Potential to Trigger Dynamic Changes in Supply Chains

Oct 27, 2016 | Chiara Macchi
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The first version of the EU draft Regulation on conflict minerals came as a disappointment to the many civil society actors. EU institutions were split, with the Commission and Council favouring a soft approach and the European Parliament proposing amendments that would impose binding due diligence requirements on both upstream and downstream companies. A political understanding was reached. While a new version of the draft Regulation is not available yet, one question that arises is whether the policy framework emerging from the trilogue, that combines mandatory and voluntary elements, is what the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights define as a “smart mix”, or whether it constitutes a missed opportunity.