On June 16, 2016, the European Union successfully reached a political agreement to restrict the trade in conflict minerals, aiming to prevent this trade from financing armed groups. The agreement commits EU companies to take responsibility when sourcing minerals such as tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold to ensure global supply chains are free from conflict and forced labor.

Lilianne Ploumen, spokesperson for the European Council, said: "The EU is committed to preventing the international trade in minerals from financing warlords, criminals and human rights violators," underlining its strong commitment to international peace, human rights protection and social responsibility in global supply chains.

The agreement was supported by Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Mineral Trade Agreements, Iuliu Winkler, rapporteur on International Mineral Trade Agreements, and Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Trade Commissioner. The implementation of this framework will build on the OECD Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible mineral Procurement, ensuring effective enforcement of EU regulations.

As a supplier, we will strictly comply with this regulatory framework and urge other suppliers to comply with the relevant EU regulations. Working together, we will ensure that supply chains are ethical and regulatory, do not support conflict, and do not involve forced labor.

This political understanding sets the stage for future technical work and the eventual adoption of the rules. If you have any questions about conflict minerals issues or EU regulations, we are always ready to provide further information and support. Thank you for your attention to this issue and look forward to working together on ethical standards in global supply chains.