Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell i Fontelles on behalf of the European Commission
27.4.2023
The EU Delegation monitors the situation of illegal gold mining in Brazil, in particular in the Amazon region. It is in contact with relevant non-governmental organisations and think tanks, and has created a group of like-minded countries[1] accounting for 80% of Brazilian gold exports to discuss solutions for the problem.
The EU supports the protection of the human rights of indigenous peoples through six civil society organisations’ projects totalling over EUR 4.1 million.
Until 2021, the EU supported with EUR 7 million the project ‘Strengthening socio-biodiversity value chains in territories of diversity’, which included activities with Yanomami communities in Roraima.
In February 2023, to address the situation of severe acute malnutrition among Yanomami children, the Commission granted EUR 0.5 million in emergency humanitarian assistance.
Regulation (EU) 2017/821[2] lays down the due diligence obligations for EU importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG).
Although no areas in Brazil fall within the regulation’s definition of a conflict affected or high-risk area[3], the regulation has a global scope: due diligence requirements should be carried out for imports of 3TG irrespective of their origin; they thus apply to gold from Brazil.
The EU provides support to the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM)[4], aiming to increase socially responsible extraction of minerals.
T he Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive[5], will set out a horizontal framework for businesses operating in the EU to respect human rights and the environment in their operations and through their value chains, by identifying, preventing, mitigating and accounting for any adverse impacts.
T he Commission supports the implementation of the Minamata Convention[6] to reduce the use, emission and release of mercury.
- [1] With Canada, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
- [2] 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, OJ L 130, 19.5.2017, p. 1‐20.
- [3] https://www.cahraslist.net/
- [4] The EPRM is an accompanying measure to Regulation (EU) 2017/821 https://europeanpartnership-responsibleminerals.eu/
- [5] COM (2022) 71 final.
- [6] https://mercuryconvention.org/en