EU lawmakers have narrowly backed tougher rules aimed at limiting the import of conflict minerals.<br /><br /> The European Parliament voted in favour of the draft law with 343 votes to 331.<br /><br /> Supporters say it should be more difficult for military groups to finance their activities by selling precious minerals, which are used in tech gadgets such as smartphones.<br /><br /> MEPs said any certification system should be mandatory, rather than voluntary as the European Commission had proposed.<br /><br /> That would mean companies would have to prove that all resources throughout their supply chain were ‘conflict-free’.<br /><br /> The US already has legally binding requirements, which focus on the Great Lakes region in Africa.<br /><br /> Parliamentarians will now negotiate with EU governments over what the final version of the law will look like.
