Brussels, 04/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - In order to meet the critical needs of the EU, the European Commission proposed, on Tuesday 4 November, an integrated strategy containing targeted measures to improve European industry's access to raw materials from resource-rich third countries.
Raw materials, particularly high technicity metals, are crucial for manufacturing many technologically sophisticated products. In the making of a mobile phone for instance, 40 different raw materials are used, like lithium, tantalum, cobalt and antimony, all of them more and more difficult to get. A computer or television screen contains the same metals. A computer actually consists of about 60 raw materials, some of which are not to be found in Europe.
In an attempt to assist their downstream industries, many resource-rich countries are applying protectionist measures that stop or slow down the export of raw materials to Europe. There are subsequently over 450 export restrictions on more than 400 different raw materials (e.g. metals, wood, chemicals, hides and skins), such trade distorting restrictions is Russia's export duties on wood materials, which disrupt existing production chains in importer countries. For many essential raw materials extraction is concentrated in a limited number of countries. China produces 95% of all rare earth concentrates (needed for hand-held consumer electronics, LCD's, high performance magnets), Brazil 90% of all niobium (needed for steel alloys in gas pipelines, super alloys in high performance jet aircrafts) and South Africa produces 79% of all rhodium (needed for car catalysts).
Recycling offers a huge potential for reducing dependency on raw material imports. It contributes to energy efficiency, particularly in the case of metals where production on the basis of secondary raw materials (scrap) is up to significantly more energy efficient compared to primary raw material. As an example, secondary smelting of aluminium using scrap consumes only 5% of the electricity used compared to primary smelting.
In a press release presented by the Commissioner for industry, Günter Verheugen, on Tuesday 4 November, the Commission recommends that the EU define critical raw materials and gives itself an integrated strategy, based on 3 major pillars: access to raw materials on world markets at undistorted conditions; the right framework to foster sustainable supply of raw materials from EU sources and increased resource efficiency and promoting recycling in the EU. (E.H./trans/rh)