Finland: Government proposal on conflict minerals to promote transparency of supply chains and responsible procurement

NordenBladet — On 29 October 2020, the Government submitted a proposal on an act on the placing on the market of conflict minerals and their ores. The proposal aims to improve the transparency of supply chains.Conflict minerals originate in conflict and high-risk areas and include tin, tantalum, tungsten and their ores as well as gold. These minerals are widely used in phones, computers, cameras, aeroplanes, medical devices and jewellery, for example.

Conflict minerals and their production offers a great deal of development potential, but they also involve problems. In some areas, the proceeds from the sale of the minerals are used to finance violent conflicts or human rights violations, for example. In order to reduce these problems, the European Union has established a system for supply chain due diligence that imposes new obligations on importers of conflict minerals. With the help of responsible business activities, natural resources can be used to support the development of the areas.The Government’s proposal will bring Finland’s conflict minerals regime into line with EU requirements.According to the proposal, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency would be the competent authority in Finland.The act is intended to enter into force on 1 January 2021.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi