August 23, 2013 – August 30, 2013
The summaries provided in this Weekly Recap do not necessarily represent the views of Squire Sanders (US) LLP and should not be deemed to be endorsements of them. The Recap is intended to be a compilation of articles and events to encourage discussion within the conflict minerals community and to keep our readers updated on the most recent developments.

Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB): EU Key to Further Progress on Conflict Minerals

Margot Wallström, a member of IHRB’s International Advisory Board, recently wrote a commentary piece on IHRB’s website discussing the conflict minerals framework that the European Union should adopt. As a background, the EU completed a public consultation on June 26, 2013, with the objective of the consultation to obtain the interested parties’ views on a potential EU conflict minerals initiative.

In her commentary piece, Ms. Wallström urges, among other things, that:

  • The framework the EU develops should be consistent with due diligence as set out by the OECD and United Nations;
  • The rules derived from the framework should be mandatory and not voluntary;
  • The EU legislation should be consistent with section 1502 of the Dodd Frank Act; and
  • The EU should adopt incentives such as tariff reductions or tax credits to incentivize companies to comply with the new rule.

To read her entire commentary, please see EU Key to Further Progress on Conflict Minerals.

Ernst & Young: Are You Ready for Conflict Minerals Reporting? Webinar

On Thursday, September 26, 2013, at 7:00 A.M. EDT, Ernst & Young (E&Y) is hosting a live webinar from London titled Are You Ready for Conflict Minerals Reporting?

A panel of E&Y professionals and guest speakers will discuss the conflict minerals rule and how to implement your compliance.

Conflict Minerals Webinar for Food Retailers and Suppliers

On Thursday, September 19, 2013, from 11:00 A.M. – 12:oo P.M. EDT,  Food Marketing Institute (FMI) is hosting a conflict minerals webinar to provide food retailers and suppliers guidance in connection with the conflict minerals rule.

According to FMI’s website, “members from PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Retail & Consumer Practice area will lead a discussion addressing the rule and how food and grocery companies are approaching and executing their journey to Section 1502 compliance.”