Sustainable Commodities: EU Conflict Minerals Regulation

Earlier this month, the European Parliament voted to adopt the final text of an EU Conflict Minerals Regulation (the "Regulation"), which will require smelters, refiners and importers into the EU of tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold and their derivatives to source them responsibly. The Regulation must first be formally adopted by the Council, and signed by the Presidency of the Council and the President of the European Parliament, before becoming legally binding.

In this client alert, we will explain the background to the Regulation and briefly describe its key features.

Background

So-called "conflict minerals" – tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold and their derivatives ("3TG") – are widely used in the electronics, motor, aircraft and other high-tech industries.