What is Conflict Minerals?

Tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold have all been linked to supporting violence, killings, rape, and other human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other war zones. These minerals can find their way into the supply chains of global corporations and are used in consumer products such as laptops, cell phones, and automobiles.

source: https://www.business-humanrights.org

Tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold are included by the EU law since they are the four minerals most frequently linked to armed conflicts and related human rights violations, thus it makes sense to concentrate on them. To help combat the trafficking in conflict minerals, the law depends on well-established rules. These were created in partnership with industry, civil society, and other governments by specialists at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of 35 developed countries.

source: https://ec.europa.eu

Cassiterite (for tin), wolframite (for tungsten), coltan (for tantalum), and gold ore are the four most regularly mined conflict minerals (known as 3TGs, from their initials), which are extracted from the eastern Congo and transported through a number of intermediaries before being acquired. These minerals are required for the production of a wide range of gadgets, including consumer electronics like smartphones, tablets, and computers.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org