Background: Conflict minerals & EU responsible mineral sourcing regulation

Note: This page provides background information on responsible mineral sourcing, the impacts of mineral trade on human rights & conflict, as well as the proposed EU regulation. It is not an exhaustive list of sources.

Background on due diligence for responsible mineral sourcing:

OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas

Relevant EU legislative documents:

Draft regulation as adopted by the European Parliament in plenary, 20 May 2015
Summary of draft regulation as adopted by the European Parliament, 20 May 2015
European Commission’s proposal and Joint Communication, 5 Mar 2014
European Commission’s Impact Assessment, 5 Mar 2014

Civil society perspective on the EU's role:

'EU Regulation on Responsible Mineral Sourcing: Implementing the Parliament's Proposed Due Diligence System', Civil society coalition, Oct 2015
FAQs: 'A call for strong European conflict minerals legislation', Global Witness (also available in French)
'Conflict Minerals in Europe: Stop the EU supporting a Deadly Trade', Global Witness, Feb 2014
'Breaking the links between natural resources and conflict: The case for EU regulation', Civil society position paper, Sep 2013 (also available in French)
Other briefings by NGO coalition (in English & French)

Evidence of how trade in natural resources fund conflict & human rights abuses:

General

European Commission's Impact Assessment, 5 Mar 2014, pp.13-22.
Global case studies, Global Witness, 2014 (including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Colombia, Zimbabwe, DR Congo)
‘The Looting Machine’, Tom Burgis, review by Financial Times, 6 Mar 2015
Conflict trade: regulating illicit flows to and from war, Mark Taylor, Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre (NOREF), Oct 2013
Conflict minerals, Lena Guesnet, Bonn International Center for Conversion & Raimund Bleishwitz, Wuppertal Institute, Jan 2013

Tin, tantalum, tungsten