On Thursday 3 September, in the wake of the March industrial strategy, the European Commission presented its action plan on so-called “critical” raw materials, as well as the three-yearly update of the list of critical raw materials and a prospective study for strategic technologies and sectors up to 2030, or even 2050.
“If we want to keep benefiting in the long run from modern products such as smartphones, TV sets or computer screens or our electric cars, it’s quite clear that we have to drastically change our approach to critical raw materials”, said Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, underlining the EU’s high dependence on non-Member States. For example, 75-100% of the metals mined in Europe come from non-Member States, while China provides 98% of the rare earth elements.
“So there is good news and not so good news”, continued Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, pointing out that there are many large deposits of raw materials in Europe, particularly lithium. “We have a fairly accurate picture of the resources in Europe: they are important and diversified, but not sufficient”.
A new Alliance
Thus, the European Commission sets out a ten-point action plan for the period up to 2025. First fundamental step: by the end of the month, the Commission intends to launch a European Raw Materials Alliance, which will bring together Member States, regions, civil society (NGOs and trade unions) and industrial stakeholders.
This Alliance will follow the model of the previously successful Battery Alliance (see EUROPE 12490/16) and will also be headed by Mr Šefčovič, we are told. The aim is to strengthen European action to secure and meet the Union’s needs for raw materials.
It will also be the gateway to launch new important projects of common European interest (IPCEI) and facilitate the use of the Just Transition Fund.
Green mining activities
In connection with the Green Deal, to follow by 2021, the development of a set of criteria for financing sustainable mining activities and the launch in 2021 of a research and innovation project on waste treatment and substitute materials (in the framework of Horizon Europe and the ERDF, in particular).
In the course of 2022, the Commission will map the potential supply of critical secondary raw materials from stocks and waste. In the same year, the Commission hopes, together with the Member States, industry and trade unions, to develop a competent and sufficient workforce to meet the needs of mining activities.
On the external side, the Commission hopes, from 2021 onwards, to seal strategic international partnerships, always with a view to both securing and diversifying the supply chains of raw materials.
Space policy will be in the spotlight. The Commission intends to further explore the resources beneath Europe’s surface, notably through the European Earth observation programme Copernicus.
Critical raw materials
In addition, the list of critical raw materials is being updated (most recently in 2017) to keep pace with the changing economic importance and supply challenges of their industrial application. The list now includes 4 new raw materials (bauxite, lithium, titanium and strontium) and loses helium. In 2011, the list only included 14 raw materials.
A controversial strategy
The European Commission’s announcements were welcomed by metal industry associations. Twenty-five CEOs of metal industries expressed their interest in a joint statement, issued Thursday, to participate in the future European Alliance (to view it: https://bit.ly/3bnq7LC ).
On the contrary, Friends of the Earth Europe has denounced the new European strategy in no uncertain terms on Twitter: “This is a plan to plunder, risking more extraction beyond ecological limits, more exploitation of communities and their land, and new toxic trade deals”.
To consult the Commission Communication: https://bit.ly/31VaA2D
To read the prospective study: https://bit.ly/3jGu5lu (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)