On Thursday 21 March, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, and the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, Jan Christian Vestre, signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership to develop sustainable land-based raw materials and battery value chains. This is one of the actions planned as part of the ‘green alliance’ between the EU and Oslo.
The memorandum of understanding will enable the two partners to cooperate on: - integrating battery and raw materials supply chains; - research and innovation; - application of environmental, social and governance criteria; - mobilising financial and investment instruments; - skills development.
More specifically, the partnership will, for example, facilitate joint investment projects via consortia. For funding, programmes such as InvestEU and the European Battery Alliance could be mobilised.
“It will create a wide range of business and research opportunities on both sides, strengthening both our industrial base and our political bond”, Mr Šefčovič stated.
In recent months, the European Commission has increased the number of memorandums of understanding it has signed with third countries on raw materials. It is due to sign another with Uzbekistan shortly. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)