October 11, 2013 – October 18, 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.
IPC Conflict Minerals Conference: Complying with EU and US Laws
IPC, a global electronics trade association, hosted a one-day conference in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday, October 23, 2013, titled Conflict Minerals: Complying with EU and US Laws.
The conference focused on, among other things:
- How U.S. legislation affects EU companies,
- Upcoming EU conflict minerals legislation, and
- What leading companies are doing now.
To view the agenda for the day, please see the Agenda.
Trade Industries Voice Concern Over Potential EU Conflict Minerals Regulation
Just-Style reports that that The American Apparel and Footwear Association joined twenty-eight (28) other trade associations as signatories to a letter addressed to the Obama administration voicing their concerns over the potential EU conflict minerals regulation.
Among other things, the trade associations are concerned that the disclosure obligations under the EU conflict minerals regulation may be broader in scope than its US counterpart. In addition, the trade associations highlight that the EU regulation may discriminate in its reporting requirements between EU member states and non-EU member states. The letter states, “[s]uch a requirement would likely be at odds with the basic non-discrimination rules of the international trading system, highly damaging to manufacturers throughout the United States, and entirely inconsistent with the goals of the TTIP negotiations.”
Claigan Releases Update on Industry Status of Conflict Minerals Compliance
Claigan Environmental Inc., an environmental compliance company, issued a press release this week centered on the current status of conflict minerals compliance.
Claigan states, among other things, that:
- As of September 2013, 2,946 companies were identified as having conflict minerals compliance programs in place,
- Conflict minerals compliance has been most successful for first lead companies, meaning those companies that have taken a proactive approach in conflict minerals compliance since day one, and
- For a number of large entities, conflict minerals compliance costs have been lower than originally projected.