BRUSSELS - Are the US rules on sourcing conflict minerals making their way over the Atlantic?

The European Commission this week started a public debate on the matter, a precursor to a potential initiative for sourcing of minerals coming from war zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

While asking for input, the Commission implied a rule would be forthcoming. In a statement, the EC said it wants to "deepen its understanding of issues such as the sourcing and security of supply of minerals, supply chain transparency and good governance. The Commission will use the results to help it decide whether and how, in a reasonable and effective manner, to complement and to continue on-going due diligence initiatives and support for good governance in mineral mining, especially in developing countries affected by conflict."

The consultation is taking input until June 26.

Under new US law, public companies using or trading in certain minerals must be able to prove they were sourced from mines that do not use child or forced labor.