EU May Help Mineral Exporters from Eastern Congo-英语听力

[00:00.10]From VOA Learning English, [00:02.12]this is the Economics Report. [00:05.32]Western governments want to cut links [00:08.43]between the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo [00:13.12]and the area's mineral exports. [00:16.71]Both the United States and the European Union [00:20.55]have act to tight control of minerals imports [00:24.33]to avid fueling the conflict in eastern Congo. [00:28.82]The United States Congress passed the Dodd Frank Act in 2010. [00:35.16]The law deals mainly with financial rules, [00:39.06]but it also includes a special requirement [00:42.50]for America listed companies. [00:44.99]It says buyers of tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold [00:50.39]need to show they have not support conflict [00:54.32]in Africa's Great Lakes area. [00:57.63]Now, the European Union is also writing a bill [01:02.38]to prevent deals that help provide armies in the eastern Congo. [01:07.17]A delegation from the European parliament [01:11.12]has been visiting Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo [01:15.41]to see how the proposed law would affect those countries. [01:19.96]Judith Sargentini is leading the delegation. [01:23.85]She says the aim of the European law is to help break the link [01:28.84]between the minerals trade and armed conflict. [01:32.94]She suggests the law will require EU companies [01:37.74]buying minerals to prove their were mined [01:40.95]without supporting the conflict in the Congo. [01:44.74]"We cannot just have the U.S. work on this issue, [01:48.64]when we are the big trading countries with Africa, [01:52.29]and ignore this. [01:53.78]It will influence European companies [01:57.13]that want to trade on the U.S. market, [01:59.56]but besides that, more importantly, [02:01.91]Europe has a responsibility to watch a lot of countries [02:06.11]that are actual even former colonies," says Sargentini. [02:08.81]She says the bill is not a reaction to an increase [02:13.10]in Chinese imports of these minerals by companies [02:17.00]that are not concerned about the Dodd Frank Act. [02:20.30]"But I would say that European communication [02:24.14]on trade and raw materials of course [02:26.64]is completely influenced by the fear that Europe has, [02:29.92]that China will buy out everything, [02:31.97]and we don't have anything in thte future any more," says Sargentini. [02:34.62]Judith Sargentini says the American law reduced trade and jobs. [02:40.30]She notes that the proposed law will not stop imports from eastern Congo. [02:46.20]She says some imports will continue, even if the minerals [02:51.29]were mined under what she called "bad circumstances." [02:55.43]Critics say the Dodd Frank Act stop trade [03:00.03]and led to the illegal transport of minerals through nearby countries. [03:05.42]Ms Sargentini agrees, [03:08.62]but says the planed law should have a different effect. [03:12.59]She says the EU trade commissioner wants to increase trade with the Congo. [03:18.58]She says the law will reward businesses [03:21.93]that making Africa to trade minerals fairly and openly. [03:26.67]Some Congolese experts say they think the Dodd Frank Act [03:31.87]has helped to cut the flow of money to militia leaders. [03:35.51]In eastern Congo, workers at the Enough Project say [03:41.06]people have changed behaviors because of it. [03:43.65]But the conflict minerals part of the law has yet to be enforced. [03:49.29]And that's the Economics Report from VOA Learning English, [03:55.13]I'm Mario Ritter.