Conflict Minerals: EU Guidelines on Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas

The EU Commission published guidelines on the identification of conflict-affected and high-risk areas and other supply chain risks with respect to the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation 2017/821 on August 17, 2018. Although not legally binding, the guidelines are designed to help EU importers carry out their supply chain due diligence. The overall objective of the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation, which is based on the principles set forth in the OECD Guidance, is to enable the development of secure, transparent and verifiable supply chains of minerals. Moreover, the aim is to ensure responsible import practices of minerals and metals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas into the EU, without contributing to armed conflict and associated human rights abuse.