Minerals or metals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas
In politically unstable regions, trade in minerals can be used to finance armed groups, cause forced labor and other human rights violations, and promote corruption and money laundering, and it is difficult for consumers to know whether the product that they are buying finances violence, or other crimes abroad.
The OECD has drawn up a Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains that provides detailed recommendations to help companies respect human rights and avoid that, through their economic operations, they contribute, even involuntarily or indirectly, to the financing of armed conflicts. and the violation of human rights. The Guide is proposed to all companies that operate in the sector or use minerals or metals potentially coming from areas at high risk of conflict for their activity.
Moreover, in 2016, as part of the implementation of the OECD Guidance, the OECD launched a project to develop and pilot test an assessment methodology for evaluating the extent to which industry programmes align with the detailed recommendations of the OECD Guidance. This Report presents the findings of the pilot alignment assessment of five industry programmes against the recommendations of the OECD Guidance.
In Europe in response to the concerns of civil society, the Regulation (EU) 2017/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 was approved, laying down supply chain due diligence obligations for Union importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
The regulation will take effect on 1 January 2021.
This Regulation establishes a Union system for supply chain due diligence (‘Union system’) and in order to curtail opportunities for armed groups and security forces to trade in tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold. It is designed to lay down the supply chain due diligence obligations of Union importers of those minerals and to provide transparency and certainty as regards the supply practices of Union importers, and of smelters and refiners sourcing from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
In Italy, the Ministry of Economic Development has been defined as the competent authority for the implementation of the Regulation.
The Italian Legislative Decree related to this EU regulation, issued on the 2nd February 2021 n. 13, has been published in the Italian Official Journal to achieve national compliance.
The Ministry of Economic Development, as Competent Authority, has published the text and relevant information on the following website:
Companies and Stakeholders: For questions and information please send an email to the Italian Competent Authority at: autoritacompetente.3TG@mise.gov.it
See also:
the explanation of the regulation http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/conflict-minerals-regulation/regulation-explained
in support of the companies that have to comply with the regulation http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/conflict-minerals-regulation/help-for-your-business/index_en.htm