Next week the European Commission will publish its much-awaited Critical Raw Materials Act. Euromines very much welcomes the Commission’s initiative to address the paramount issue of securing the necessary raw materials supply for essential ecosystems. Green, digital and tech value chains start in the mine – the Green Deal industrial revolution comes with a commodity transition towards minerals and metals. Recognizing that the continuous foundation of EU prosperity is based on secure access and supply of primary raw materials in the context of increased demand for clean technologies – and thus more mining, especially in the EU – is unprecedented. The Critical Raw Materials Act marks a paradigm shift in how the Commission addresses access to raw materials.

The CRM Act must address stumbling blocks to the raw materials supply for the green and digital transition. “Achieving the green and digital transition is our European priority. That is why we need to create a platform for the overriding public interest. Metals and minerals are so vital for us to pursue the green deal and we need the key driver to make it possible both for exploration activities and to develop mines into operations. If we want to change in near time.” highlighted Jan Moström, President and CEO of LKAB and President of Euromines.

“The CRM Act can serve as a starting point for a more honest debate about how to achieve the Green Deal objectives in terms of resources. The EU green transition cannot happen on the back of countries to which we outsource sectors that are perceived as controversial. Rather, we need to address the issues that prevent us from doing more and doing it better – in our own backyard, in the EU.” Highlights Rolf Kuby, Euromines Director General.

Euromines believes that the CRM Act is the first element in balancing the imperatives of environmental protection, climate change mitigation and the huge demand increase for raw materials for the green and digital transition. We are looking forward to working with co-legislators to fine-tune the provisions in order to spur investments to reduce our footprint even more and to expedite future projects that are crucial for our raw materials supply.

Media Contact: Veronika Sochorová, Euromines, sochorova@euromines.be