Sector Programme
    Extractives and Development
    Artisanal Gold Mining

    Responsible Supply Chains European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM)

    The European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM (External link)) is a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to the promotion of responsible mineral supply chains. It aims to create better social and economic conditions for miners and mining communities and curb trade in the so-called conflict minerals (tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold). At the same time, the initiative aims at increasing the number of mines that operate responsibly in high-risk and conflict-affected areas (CAHRAs) and securing access to international markets and global supply chains for these mines.

    The EPRM was founded as a development policy measure to support the EU Regulation on Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. Since January 2021, the import of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG) is regulated for the member states of the European Union. Importers of these minerals must comply with human rights due diligence obligations in their supply chains and prove that these supply chains do not contribute to conflict financing. However, to have meaningful impact in the producing countries, the EU regulation must be accompanied by specific support measures on the ground. Otherwise, there is the risk that producing countries will be excluded from international trade or that alternative business relationships will be built with customers who do not respect the required standards.

    From mining, smelting, and refining to the processing industry - the EPRM brings together different stakeholders along the entire supply chain and implements pilot projects to promote responsible mineral sourcing. These projects (External link) cover a large variety of topics and needs, from helping women to access municipal loans in DR Congo to providing information on the origin of the minerals used by processing companies. Moreover, the EPRM promotes networking and knowledge transfer between the stakeholders in the supply chains of the respective mineral.

    Sector Programme Commitment

    The establishment of responsible supply chains and respect for human rights are a priority of the German Development Cooperation. The Sector Programme “Extractives and Development” has supported the EPRM on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) since the initiative was launched at the end of 2016. Since January 2020, Germany, represented by the BMZ, is a member of the EPRM and thus assumes a pioneering role throughout Europe in implementing human rights standards in the extractives sector. In the second half of 2020 Germany held the rotating chair of the EPRM.

    The BMZ and the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) (External link) jointly organized the digital conference “The EU Conflict Minerals Regulation: Perspectives from Producer Countries”. During this conferece, the participants discussed issues pertaining to the regulation and compiled recommendations for its successful implementation.

    Responsible Supply Chains
    LIMPIEZA DE BARRA MINERA PODEROSA

    Forum Responsible Gold

    The Forum Responsible Gold promotes the exchange of experience and information between industry, civil society, academia and development cooperation and raises public awareness on responsible gold supply chains.

    Responsible Supply Chains
    MANTENIMIENTO CAMION HITACHI MINERA CONSTANCIA

    Responsibility along the Supply Chain

    Many consumer products contain raw materials which are extracted in developing countries and emerging economies and associated with significant environmental and human rights risks. Through its activities, the Sector Programme supports the improvement of the conditions along the entire supply chain.

    Good Governance
    Engineers at an open pit mine in Peru

    Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

    The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) advocates for greater financial transparency and accountability of public revenues in the extractive sector. Read here how the Extractives and Development Sector Programme is involved.

    Responsible Supply Chains
    ASM-Arbeiter in Sierra Leone

    Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining

    It is estimated that more than 100 million people are dependent on artisanal and small-scale mining. This makes ASM a major economic sector and an important source of income. At the same time, ASM is associated with various social and environmental risks.