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European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

EU Raw Materials Initiative: implementing an integrated strategy

Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on Extractive Industries Plenary MeetingBrussels, 30 November 2010


Maria SpiliopoulouDeputy Head of UnitUnit ENTR/G/3Metals, Minerals, Raw Materials


The Raw Materials Initiative

Integrated strategy based on three pillars

Right framework conditions

within the EUin order to foster

sustainable supply from European sources

Ensuringaccess to

raw materials from International Markets

under the same conditions as

other industrial competitors

Boosting resource efficiency

and recyclingto reduce the EU's

consumption of primary raw materials


Developments following the financial and economic crisis

• Economic and financial crisis led to slowdown in growth, but continued growth by emerging countries will keep pressure on demand for raw materials

• Raw materials as essential component of Europe 2020 Strategy


Define critical raw materials


Define critical raw materials

• 41 raw materials analysed• Three main aggregated indicators (economic

importance, supply risks and environmentalcountry risks)

• Transparent methodology

Report released in June 2010

List of 14 critical raw materials

Antimony Indium Beryllium Magnesium Cobalt Niobium Fluorspar Platinum Group

Gallium Rare earths Germanium Tantalum Graphite Tungsten

Critical raw materials• High supply risks due to high share of the

worldwide productionChina (antimony, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, graphite, indium, magnesium, rare earths, tungsten)Russia (Platinum Group metals)Congo (cobalt, tantalum)Brazil (niobium, tantalum)

• And low substitutability and recycling rates

Recommendations

Two types of recommendations• follow-up and further support• policy-oriented recommendations

(areas where measures should beundertaken)

Pillar 1 – ensuring access to global markets at undistorted conditions


Trade policy actions

• Challenging unjustified trade distortive measuresOn 23 June 2009 EU requested WTO consultations on Chinese exportrestrictions on 9 raw materials (coke, bauxite, fluorspar, silicon carbide, zinc, magnesium and manganese, silicon metal and yellow phosphorous), jointly with US and MexicoIn January 2010 a WTO Panel was launched

• Bilateral negotiations on export restrictions• Raising awareness

Trade Annual Activity Report 2009


Sustainable access and development policy

• African Union Commission / European Commission agreement in Addis Ababa, June 2010, to launch a bilateral co-operation in three areas:

GovernanceInfrastructure / investmentGeological knowledge / skills

• Based on African Mining Visionand EU Raw Materials Initiative


Pillar 2 – fostering sustainable supply from European sources


Access to land

• Promote the exchange of best practice inland use planning and administrativeconditions for exploration and extraction

Guidelines promoting the compatibility of NEEI inrelation to Natura 2000 conservation goals

• Encourage better networking between national geological surveys to increase theEU's knowledge base

• Develop medium to long term strategies to integrate sub-surface components and spatial information into land-use planning

With courtesy by Knauf Gips KG


Best practices – key elements• Definition of a National Minerals Policy, based on

sustainable development principles and appropriate legal framework

• Legal framework includes mineral acts, a transparent fiscal framework and effective safeguarding of actual and potential mineral resources through land use planning

• Setting up of a land use planning policy for mineralsthat comprises:

a digital geological knowledge basea transparent methodology for identification of mineral resourceslong term estimates for regional and local demand and identifying and safeguarding mineral resources

- findings -


Best practices – key elements• clear and understandable minerals

exploration and extraction authorisation process which contributes to the streamlining of the administrative process, e.g.:

introduction of lead timespermit applications in parallel one-stop-shop / parallel assessment

• individual Member States to decide which elements of best practice to adopt, based on national circumstances

- findings -


Geological knowledge base• Need for harmonised EU-level data sets

Standardised and accurate statistical data and its annual publication on

• World wide minerals production• Imports and exports• Harmonisation will create uniform terminology and

standardise the terms and definitions used by Geological Surveys

Serve to analyse trends and help decision makers to better understand and monitor the EU’s supply and demand situation and related risks.

- findings -


Promote research ProMine• Launched in 2009• Budget: € 17 million• 27 partners from 11

Member States• Aims to improve the EU’s

knowledge base for actual and future deposits

• Develop the first ever pan-European GIS-based mineral resources database and a detailed 4D computer modelling systemAssessments and homogenising multi-layer

information system within the ProMine-Project building a basis for 3D and 4D modelling.


Promote research

• Under FP7 new funding opportunities have recently been created for projects on:

Advanced underground technologies for intelligent miningSubstitution of critical raw materialsCoordination of activities in Member States in the area of the industrial handling of raw materialsEco-efficient management of industrial water(including mining)


Pillar 3 – boost resource efficiency and promote recycling


Promote recycling• Huge potential of EU’s Urban Mines • Need to tackle illegal shipment of waste to third

countriesfacilitate the control of shipments through EU-wide inspection standards for wastepromote research on technologies for detection, identification, tracking and location of illegal shipmentsconsider strengthening of IMPEL

• Need to tackle obstacles to the functioning of the recycling market:

developing best practices in the area of collection and treatment of key waste streams developing ecodesign measures aimed at fostering more efficient use of raw materials in products


Increase resource efficiency

• Promote research projects on resource-efficient products and production; development of substitutes

• The Commission also plans to publish a Roadmap on how to move towards a resource efficient Europe by summer 2011.

• The roadmap will set out specific resource efficiency objectives, and how to meet them, based on actions up to 2020 with a time perspective of up to 2050.


•Implementation work with Member States and stakeholders ongoing•Council Conclusions of May & December 2009and March 2010 endorsed overall thrust and objectives of RMI•Public consultation underlined the need to further pursue and strengthen the RMI•Communication of the European Commission to Council by end of January 2011.

Way forward


Thank you for your attention !

•Report on critical raw materials:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/raw-materials/critical/index_en.htm

•Report on best practices in area of land use planning, permitting and geological knowledge:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/raw-materials/sustainable-supply/index_en.htm

•Natura 2000 guidelines:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/guidance_en.htm

•Trade raw materials activity report 2009:http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2010/june/tradoc_146207.pdf

•Public consultation on RMI

•http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/raw-materials/public-consultation/index_en.htm

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