"Europe must do its bit to stop the trade in conflict minerals", 19 Aug 2014

...[T]he EU is at risk of becoming a major trading hub for conflict minerals. It imports almost 25% of the global trade in tin, tantalum and tungsten. Despite this, there is no legislation requiring companies to source minerals responsibly...In an attempt to rectify this, the European commission recently proposed creating responsible sourcing standards for European companies. This is laudable, but the proposal that will soon be discussed in parliament is weak and toothless. First, it is voluntary and therefore need not be taken seriously by those it targets. Second, the proposal...covers a paltry 0.05% of Europe-based companies. In its present form, it will have no significant effect in preventing these minerals from entering European markets...[T]he EU is at risk of breaching its international obligations. Our governments have a duty under European human rights law to ensure businesses do not cause or contribute to human rights abuses. So why promote a voluntary proposal when what we urgently need is regulation and enforcement?...Global Witness – in concert with more than 60 NGOs – is campaigning for binding legislation that would require companies to investigate their supply chains and publicly report their findings. This is a landmark opportunity to help put this right. Contact your MEP and say we need to stop this deplorable situation.