24 10 13 EU parliamentary mission to the Great Lakes region (26 October-2 November 2013)
The European Commission will soon propose a legislative
initiative on responsible sourcing of minerals originating from
conflict-affected and high-risk areas. As a first step, a public consultation
was launched in late March 2013. The trade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht, aims to
table a « comprehensive EU initiative on minerals originating from conflict and
high-risk areas » before the end of the current legislature.
In order to galvanize and maximize the European
Parliament’s influence on the decision making process, two MEPs, Catherine
Bearder(ALDE) and Judith Sargentini(Greens/EFA), Piotr Kaczynski
(EPP political advisor) will participate in a mission to the Great Lakes
Region (Rwanda-DRC-Burundi) from the 26 October to 2 November 2013, organized by
the European Network for Central Africa (EurAc), the Belgian Network on
Natural Resources (BNNR-RBRN), The French development NGO CCFD-Terre
Solidaire and the Belgian Justice & Peace Commission.
One of the main challenges for the future EU initiative
is to ensure its applicability on the ground. Any initiative that does not fit
the reality and needs on the ground will fail to have a positive impact.
Therefore it is of paramount importance for decision-makers to be fully informed
of the complexity and dynamics of the current local situation. The mission
presents an opportunity for the MEPs to consult with a range of local actors in
Kigali, Goma, Bukavu and Bujumbura, and visit mining sites (North and South
Kivu), with a view to developing a framework that will allow for the development
of the envisaged EU initiative to be as well-informed as possible.
In order to
gather MEPs’ feedbacks and lessons learned from the mission, you are kindly
invited to the post-mission debriefing that will take place at the
European Parliament on the 12nd of November (see invitation and details
in annex). Online registration is compulsory.
For further information, you can read the document
Breaking the links between natural resources
and conflict: the case for EU regulation.