"EU member states are watering down proposals that would help stop conflict minerals", 6 Apr 2016

High-level negotiations have gone behind closed doors in a trialogue process where the regulation is being watered down and rendered almost meaningless to those affected by this bloody trade. If Member States have their way, the EU rules would fall short of measures taken by the US, China and African countries, and undermine the internationally recognized standard of the OECD’s due diligence guidance...CIDSE, the international alliance of Catholic development organizations, regrets the outcomes of yesterday’s second trialogue meeting (the negotiations between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the 28 EU Member States that form the EU Council). The negotiations are falling well short of the demands expressed by many civil society organizations, as well as those of nearly 150 Bishops from around the world....EU government leaders must realize the impact of watering down the regulation voted by elected EU representatives in the parliament. Member States should not hide behind closed doors, but make their positions transparent and be ready to defend their choices publicly...Jan Tytgat, Director EU Government Affairs Benelux at Umicore, a business undertaking due diligence in its minerals recycling activities, stated that “A proposal that doesn’t refer to downstream can’t assure customers that phones don’t contain conflict gold. It cuts the problem in parts. Every week we receive questions from downstream customers on the conflict-free nature of our minerals.”...Yesterday, CIDSE joined the Stop Mad Mining network to hand over the petition "Tackling the trade in conflict minerals!" signed by almost 42.000 people, who demand an EU regulation with mandatory due diligence, which meets the OECD standards as a minimum....