Why it’s important
Europe’s metals industry is committed to high standards of due-diligence to ensure our raw materials are sourced responsibly from third countries.
We have been actively involved in development of the European Union’s Conflict Minerals Regulation (focussing on tin, tantalum, tungsten & gold), as well as the OECD’s due-diligence guidelines and related activities.
In parallel, European and international industries have established a range of voluntary due-diligence schemes for metals smelters to demonstrate their responsible sourcing.
99%
imports
of cassterite from Central African countries are controlled through the Tin Supply Chain Initiative
What we’re doing
We’re an active stakeholder in the Netherlands Government’s International Responsible Business Conduct Agreement for the Metals Sector.
Together with policymakers, industry partners and NGOs, we’re working through the platform to:
- Provide companies with the necessary knowledge, instruments and other resources tools to be able understand and/or address potential risks in their supply chains (from extraction to recycling)
- Identify and address potential risks linked with secondary materials (metals scrap)
- Encouraging relevant actors to adopt the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Principles of Business and Human Rights.
What our members are doing
Our members have also developed metals-specific schemes for guaranteeing responsible and sustainable sourcing of their raw materials.
What’s coming up in the future?
The European Union will review its Conflict Minerals Regulation in 2023. Policymakers must reflect further on how to align with the industry-led schemes already in place, and how to tackle the minerals imported into Europe in products.