rec_16

Regulation (EU) 2017/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 laying down supply chain due diligence obligations for Union importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas · European Union

(16) Smelters and refiners are an important stage in global mineral supply chains as they are typically the last stage in which due diligence can effectively be assured by collecting, disclosing and verifying information on the mineral's origin and chain of custody. After this stage of transformation, it is often considered to be unfeasible to trace back the origins of minerals. The same applies to recycled metals, which have undergone even further steps in the transformation process. A Union list of global responsible smelters and refiners could therefore provide transparency and certainty to downstream economic operators as regards supply chain due diligence practices. In accordance with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, upstream economic operators such as smelters and refiners should undergo an independent third-party audit of their supply chain due diligence practices, with a view to also being included in the list of global responsible smelters and refiners.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-05 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.