Through a more mature EU-African partnership we can improve the living conditions, the safety and the dignity of Africa's people, as well as aiding economic development and strengthening democracy.

 

Conflict minerals

The S&Ds will continue to lead the battle for the traceability of minerals.

The S&D Group underlines the importance of binding EU legislation for European companies involved in the sourcing of so called "conflict minerals" which fuel armed conflicts and human rights abuses.

The group is highly concerned by the abusive exploitation of mineral sources and child labour that trade in these minerals causes. S&D MEPs underline that mining can be a source of economic development, but without controls on where minerals come from and safety measures in place, it can be a dangerous activity, driving local people off their land, drawing innocent children into armed conflict and undermining development as a whole.

The goal of the S&D Group is to ensure that regulating the use of conflict minerals is not some optional add on, but is mandatory. This means that we can be absolutely sure that the products we take for granted are not produced at the expense of the most vulnerable and fuel violence in a distant part of the world. It is also a safeguard to ensure the competitiveness of EU businesses. The EU should see that businesses as well as national and local authorities commit themselves to ending human rights abuses emanating from armed groups.

 

Education

We fully support all initiatives aimed at saving young generations at risk from being lost in conflicts through proper education and preparing them to live together in peace. We work together with the United Nations, other EU institutions, and civil society organisations at the European and global level to create political support and a solid financial background for international projects in this field. We want to offer future generations access to appropriate education in order to help them build more peaceful and responsible societies. 

 

Follow our progress

Gianni Pittella appelle le président burundais à revenir sur sa décision
29 April 2015

Suite à  la décision du Président du Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, de se porter candidat pour un troisième mandat, un climat d'incertitudes et de tensions s'est installé au Burundi et pousse des milliers de personnes vers le Rwanda. Read the press release

 

S&D MEPs Maria Arena, Elena Valenciano and Cecile Kyenge with protesters in Strasbourg infront of the European Parliament.
28 April 2015

S&D MEPs Maria Arena, Elena Valenciano and Cecile Kyenge with protesters in Strasbourg infront of the European Parliament. for the "Action for the Triumph of Justice and Freedom in the DRC." Read the press release

 

European conservatives fail to take a stand against conflict minerals, says S&D Group
14 April 2015

Despite today's negative vote from conservative forces on conflict minerals, in the international trade committee in the European Parliament, the S&D Group will continue its efforts, until the final vote in the plenary session in May, to convince MEPs of the need for a new global standard for the responsible sourcing of minerals. Read the press release

 

Latest news from the field

S&D Field Visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo
 
From 7 to 12 April 2015, a delegation of S&D MEPs, led by the President Gianni Pittella, visited the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) to meet with the DRC Government and officials, the Sakharov Prize Laureate Dr Mukwege, as well as civil society and business representatives working in the fields of human rights, democracy and the fight against conflict minerals.
 
The S&D Group has made violence against women and the banning of conflict minerals a top priority of its political action in the European Parliament. The aim of the fact-finding mission was to grasp the reality faced by victims of war and violence, and to better understand how the European Union can help local communities overcome 20 years of civil war.

This visit is the first of a series of fact-finding missions fully integrated in the Group's new strategic approach to Africa.
 
The full programme of the RDC visit is available to download below.

 

Together let's lead the battle for the traceability of minerals
13 April 2015

During his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gianni Pittella, president of the Socialists and Democrats Group at the European Parliament, underlined the importance of a binding European legislation for European companies concerning the production of the conflict minerals which fuel armed conflicts as well as human exploitation. Read the press release

 

Gianni Pittella: "Education will enable future generations to live in peace"
11 April 2015

The Socialists and Democrats Group met with teachers and school officials from the Cimpunda district during their visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo between 7 and 11 April.  The meeting was part of an S&D Group project to raise international awareness of the need to increase funding to support education in conflict zones. Read the press release

 

Gianni Pittella: "Dr Denis Mukwege, 2014 Sakharov Prize winner, restores the dignity of the entire human race. The EU must support him"
10 April 2015

The delegation of S&D MEPs led by Gianni Pittella, president of the S&D Group and accompanied by four other MEPs are today, continuing their mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a visit to the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu. This is the hospital where Dr Denis Mukwege, winner of the 2014 Sakharov Prize, continues to treat women and girls that have been the victims of rape. Read the press release

 

Gianni Pittella: "Respecting the electoral calendar is necessary for stabilising the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)"
8 April 2015

During the first day of its mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the S&D Group delegation, made up of MEPs Marie Arena, Elena Valenciano, Linda McAvan and Cécile Kyenge, and S&D Group president Gianni Pittella, met with the Congolese Prime Minister Matata Ponyo Mapon and several members of the government. Read the press release

 

Gianni Pittella: “Relations between the European Union and Africa should be strengthened”
7 April 2015

A high-level delegation of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament will be on a working visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo from 7 - 12 April 2015.  Read the press release

 

Dr Denis Mukwege backs S&D proposal to ban conflict minerals
26 March 2015

2014 Sakharov Prize laureate Dr Denis Mukwege met with S&D president Gianni Pittella in Brussels to discuss his work healing women victims of sexual violence at the Panzi Hospital and the need for the European Union to ban the use of conflict minerals in electronic devices. On this occasion, Dr Mukwege expressed his support to the S&D proposal for a binding law to ban the use of minerals coming from conflict zones, in particular from Eastern Congo. Watch the video

 

Meeting with Congelese journalists in Brussels
24 March 2015

In preparation for the field visit, the S&D Delagation led by Gianni Pittella met with Congolese journalists in Brussels