Raw materials Brussels, March 27th 2013

The European Commission is today launching a public consultation on so-called ’conflict minerals’. The aim of the consultation is get interested parties’ views on a potential EU initiative for responsible sourcing of minerals coming from conflict zones and high-risk areas – for example, war zones, post-war zones, and areas vulnerable to political instability or civil unrest.

The Commission wants to deepen its understanding of issues such as the sourcing and security of supply of minerals, supply chain transparency and good governance. The Commission will use the results to help it decide whether and how, in a reasonable and effective manner, to complement and to continue on-going due diligence initiatives and support for good governance in mineral mining, especially in developing countries affected by conflict. The consultation is open until 26 June 2013 and will be managed by the Commission's Directorate-General for Trade.