Critical Raw Materials: Council info and EU Publications

EU legislation on Critical Raw Materials.

Raw materials are crucial for achieving the Green Deal objectives and making the green and digital transitions a reality. They are at the base of all industrial value chains and are fundamental for many green and digital technologies. By 2030, our demand for rare earth elements will be multiplied by five. Consequently, the EU Green Deal recognises access to resources as a strategic question for Europe.

This study assesses the needs and vulnerabilities of the EU in accessing products containing Critical Raw Materials (CRM) needed for the green and digital transitions in a changing geopolitical context. It provides an overview on the wider situation, as well as a policy context. The study sets out to identify at which stage of the supply chain, ranging from raw materials to final products, the European industrial eco-system is dependent on CRM imports. It reviews the CRM methodology designed by the JRC to identify which materials are critical and require special attention.

Critical raw materials are essential to sustain Europe's economic and environmental ambitions. As geoeconomic aggression and geopolitical tensions rise, the EU is re-thinking its reliance on certain imports. Can the EU secure its supply of critical materials?

The objective of the EU principles for sustainable raw materials, is to align the understanding of sustainable raw materials extraction (from exploration to post-closure) and processing operations in the EU amongst Member States and define the general direction towards the SDGs. This will lead to a common European understanding on sustainability principles that can contribute to coherence amongst emerging certification and labelling schemes, and that existing practices, codes and standards are recognised. Extractive activities include extraction from a mine or quarry, but also dredging of alluvial deposits, rock crushing and the use of salt marshes.

The EESC position concerns 6 main objectives: Supporting sustainable primary sourcing in Europe; Fostering secondary sourcing from waste and circular reuse; Maintaining extractive and processing capacities in the EU by supporting workers and regions; Investing in activities that can foster substitution; Diversifying trading partners and supporting developing countries; A wider and more frequent review of the critical raw materials list.

This study looks at the supply chains of the nine technologies below used in the three strategic sectors renewable energy, e-mobility, defence and aerospace. It also attempts to provide a first answer, based on available knowledge and models, to where future challenges fie and how competition for resources may evolve.

The present study is the fourth technical assessment of critical raw materials for the EU, based on the methodology developed by the European Commission in cooperation with the Ad hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials (AHWG) in 2017. The first assessment (2011) identified 14 critical raw materials (CRMs) out of the 41 non-energy, non-agricultural candidate raw materials. In the 2014 exercise, 20 raw materials were identified as critical out of 54 candidates. In 2017, 27 CRMs were identified among 78 candidates.

This is a prescriptive document containing the guidelines and the ‘ready-to-apply’ methodology for the EU criticality assessment and the revision of the list of critical raw materials (CRM) for the EU. These synthesised guidelines build on the methodology used to establish the lists of CRM in 2011 and 2014 and integrate the methodological improvements identified by the European Commission in the project ‘Assessment of the methodology on the list of critical raw materials’, in close consultation with the ad hoc working group ‘Defining critical raw materials’.

Why critical raw materials are important? What is the Commissions stance on them? What is methodology to identify CRMs? Countries accounting for largest share of EU supply of CRMs?

The EU Science Hub is the main website of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's science and knowledge service, providing scientific evidence throughout the whole policy cycle. The EU Science Hub has a designated space for the raw materials with the policy context and research outputs of involved JRC units.

Raw materials are crucial to Europe’s economy. They form a strong industrial base, producing a broad range of goods and applications used in everyday life and modern technologies. Library Guide by the Commission with information on assessment,sectors concerned,recovery and reuse,the EU's strategic autonomy, China and the future.

How does the Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials support the Commission's priorities, notably the European Green Deal and the Industrial Strategy? How does the Communication on Critical Raw Materials contribute to Europe's recovery? Which policy instruments does the EU have at its disposal to improve the security of raw materials supply? How will the EU increase circularity of raw materials?What is the EU Critical Raw Materials list and what is it used for? Lots of questions and answers of critical raw materials.

Information about this initiative. To achieve the green and digital transitions, the EU must significantly increase and diversify its critical raw materials supply, strengthen circularity and support research and innovation. This initiative will aim to reinforce EU monitoring capacities and strengthen both the EU value chain – through the identification of mineral resources and raw materials projects in the EU's strategic interest, with strong environmental protection – and EU external policies on CRMs.

The partnership aims to deepen cooperation in the field of sustainable raw materials value chains that are necessary for the clean energy and digital transition of both partners. It also aims to develop a competitive and sustainable industry for processing raw materials and local value added in the mining sector, creating quality employment and sustainable and inclusive economic growth, to the mutual benefit of both sides. Includes the Memorandum of Understanding establishing a partnership between the EU and Chile on sustainable raw materials value chains.

Contains lots of useful information on areas such as policy and legislation, autonomy, security-of-supply, sustainability, raw materials profiles and much more.

Search for documents and brows what projects have been EU funded.

Securing reliable and unhindered access to raw materials is important for the EU. In the EU, there are at least 30 million jobs depending on the availability of raw materials. The European Commission’s actions to ensure a sustainable supply of these materials can be divided into 2 interlinked parts: the raw materials initiative and the European innovation partnership on raw materials.

Europe is embarking on a transition towards climate neutrality and digital leadership. The European industrial strategy aims to ensure that European industry can lead the way as we enter this new age.

The European Commission adopted the new circular economy action plan (CEAP) in March 2020. It is one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth. The EU’s transition to a circular economy will reduce pressure on natural resources and will create sustainable growth and jobs. It is also a prerequisite to achieve the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target and to halt biodiversity loss.

Les députés souhaitent que l’UE soit moins dépendante des importations de matières premières critiques cruciales pour ses industries stratégiques.

Creation of a common multi-stakeholder platform focused on a limited number of key raw materials across their whole value chain. This should involve partners from across the value chain, including mining, processing, recycling, application, public sectors (national/regional/local) and civil society, while respecting the conditions of each value chain. The action shall support implementation of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials.