EU governments in danger of missing crucial opportunity to reduce global conflict

The EU will miss a crucial opportunity to reduce global conflict unless member states stop their attempts to drastically dilute a new law that could help end the funds armed groups and terrorists receive from so-called conflict minerals.

Global Witness warns that the EU governments’ proposed conflict minerals law would have extremely limited impact and fall well below internationally agreed standards. The draft law will be negotiated for the first time in Strasbourg today.

The law that governments have put on the negotiating table is a major step backwards for the EU, as it would fail to cover companies importing products that could contain conflict minerals and also drastically lowers the standard of due diligence expected from  manufacturers and traders. The EU has previously endorsed international standards for the minerals sector, but governments have now back-tracked.

If EU governments fail to change their stance, says Global Witness, the EU would be left trailing behind the US, China and several African states which already have stronger measures in place.

“It’s of course important that the EU is able to facilitate trade. But not checking whether your supply chains are financing conflict or fuelling human rights abuses is unacceptable. Irresponsible business can drive developing countries towards war and instability which obviously has huge human and financial costs. We have mandatory laws on money-laundering and terrorist financing, so why not on conflict minerals?”

Documents seen by Global Witness show EU member states proposing a voluntary conflict minerals law which only covers companies importing raw forms of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold and ignores those bringing products containing those same minerals, such as cars, laptops and mobile phones, into the EU.

The Council’s approach is directly at odds with the EU Parliament’s vote, in May 2015, for a compulsory due diligence law for the minerals sector that would cover both importers of raw minerals and products containing those minerals. The Parliament’s vote for a mandatory law echoed calls from almost 150 religious leaders, global investors, business leaders and companies, as well as over 150 international campaigning organisations.

“The EU Council is recommending a voluntary law but there are already voluntary guidelines for the minerals sector that the majority of companies in the EU continue to ignore. EU leaders must recognise that a mandatory law in line with international standards is needed to trigger meaningful change in the sector” said Norton. “EU citizens who are buying laptops and mobile phones also have the right to know that the companies have sourced the key ingredients responsibly.”

“While a strong due diligence law won’t be a magic solution to ending conflict around the world it is a crucial first step in changing a system which has fuelled and prolonged conflicts for many years.”