As the world races to secure the critical minerals needed for the energy and digital transitions, Europe is looking to open new mines on the continent to secure local and resilient supply chains. The Critical Raw Materials Act (2024) sets a benchmark of 10% of the EU’s consumption of mined materials to be extracted locally by 2030, via the selection of Strategic Projects. However, on a continent where mining has been declining for decades, Europe’s mining rules are, in some cases, below the global best practice, with concerns around environmental standards, water use and meaningful participation being raised.
This side event of the EU Raw Materials Week co-hosted by EEB, PowerShift and T&E will provide a deep dive into the current state of European mining legislation, the opportunities and challenges. The discussion will focus on how EU legal frameworks such as the Extractive Waste Directive, Water Framework Direction, Arhus Convention and reference documents like BREFs are applied and where improvement is needed, in order to ensure more sustainable mining practices. In parallel, we will explore where opportunities to drive more innovative practices exist, such as how a revision of the Extractive Waste Directive can promote more re-mining of extractive waste. Short inputs will set the stage for a panel with speakers from government, industry and civil society. The aim is to discuss where EU legislation or standards and citizen engagement work well and where gaps remain and to develop ideas for more sustainable approaches to mining.
Program:
09:00 Welcome (Diego Marin)
09:10 Presentation on Standards and Regulation in the EU (Anna Schönwald, Nabu)
09:20 Presentation on EU Waste Directive (Emily Ritchey T&E)
09:30 Presentation on Re-Mining (Geological Survey)
09:40 Starting Panel Discussion:
Panelists:
Cecilia Mattea, Europe Regional Lead, IRMA
Sara Matthieu, Member of EU Parliament
Pauline Wolters, Policy Officer, DG Env
Tba, EU Geological Survey
Emily Ritchey, T&E
Michael Reckordt, PowerShift
Moderation: Diego Marin, EEB
