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News

Internatial Di
onsof Electronics Association

Conlict Minerals

A sensible European response… A

INTERNELECTRONICS
SUPPLIERS

by Adam Fletcher
Chairman of IDEA and ECSN www.ecsn-uk.org
EU’s response to the US Conflict Minerals legislation. Their concern was that EU legislation -

which has a nasty habit of adding additional requirements (known as “gold plating”)

was likely to further burden our industry: “In fact the recent publication of the

draft EU regulation was met with a collective sigh of relief by the electronic

components industry,” says Adam Fletcher – Chairman – ecsn / IDEA –
“It seems that the EU is adopting a much more sensible response to the US legislation in-line

with lobbying efforts, not least from European electronics trade associations.”

WHAT ArE CONFLICT MINErALS?
Conlict Minerals are is mainly used in the production european Parliament passed “They dd nt de
ine the
essential natural resources, the of capacitors; cassiterite is a resolution calling for the eu to iocountries to which the
often to be found in solders, legislate along the lines of us
mining of which is considered legislation will Co
by international authorities and Gold / Gold alloys are conflict minerals laws. apply because ndi attività e servizi
often used in the production of
to be financing conflict and by deinition the per Associazioni
subsequent human rights semiconductors, connectors the Dodd Franks Act situation is luid e gruppi d’im

abuses by rival militias in the and Pcbs. Wolframite is a mandated that organisations and unstable
Democratic Republic of mineral used in the production quoted on us stock ”

Congo (DRC) and adjoining of tungsten. exchanges that use conflict
countries. the Drc has minerals in their production impact a small number of

witnessed almost fifteen years processes must declare the organisations but as often with “Itseems thatthe EU
of continuous fighting, driven origin of such materials and poorly conceived and hastily
is adopting a much
in no small part by the trade perform the due diligence drafted legislation a number
necessary within their supply of unintended consequences more sensible response
in valuable minerals. the to the US legislation
warring parties have funded chains to minimise their use arose. Worldwide ”
of conflict Minerals. those manufacturers of electronic
their activities by imposing
illegal taxes at mine sites, drafting the amendments to components and their
WHAT HAPPENED? authorised distributors faced a
controlling mineral transport the act optimistically believed
and smuggling routes. lobbying by nGos resulted their legislation would only tidal wave of customer requests

in the us government trying
from an electronics industry to extend the influence of its

perspective there are only four foreign Policy via us publicly
minerals causing concern: quoted companies with a

colombite-tantalite, a metal hastily drafted amendment
to section 1502 of the Dodd
ore from which tantalum is
extracted; cassiterite, a metal franks Wall street reform
and consumer Protection act
ore from which tin is derived;
Gold and Wolframite. tantalum 2010. In october 2010 the

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