European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Raw materials
Ten issues to watch in 2021
The year ahead of us is critical in many ways: 2021 is the first year of recovery after the coronavirus pandemic hit the world in 2020. In the five-year European political cycle, it is a year in which progress towards significant action and implementation are expected, after a first year generally more focused on declarations and planning. And global events and geopolitical tensions make it no less critical at international level. Continue reading
Material use in the European Union: Towards a circular approach
Global material use has tripled during the past four decades, in particular as a result of increasing living standards. The use of materials, which need to be extracted from our environment, can pose environmental challenges. It can also be threatened by resource scarcity and price volatility. Continue reading
A changing environment for Greenland
Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and one of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) associated with the EU, is seeking new sources of revenue to develop a more self-sustaining economy. It faces major challenges given its remote location, heavy economic dependence on the fishing industry, weak infrastructure, high unemployment, alarming drop-out … Continue reading
Trade in critical raw materials (CRMs): Main challenges
EU industry depends almost entirely on a handful of countries for imports of 14 critical raw materials (CRMs). These are of high economic significance and are at particularly high risk of supply shortages. Geographical concentration of CRM production, growing global demand and a tendency of main suppliers to apply export restrictions to reserve CRM stocks … Continue reading
Recycling as a response to Rare Earth Elements’ import dependence
The Rare Earth Elements (REE) are a group of 17 metals used in many high-tech products. It is estimated that China possesses around 35-40% of world reserves of REEs. However, increasing worldwide demand for REEs has led China to impose restrictions on their export. Therefore, recycling REEs is increasingly perceived in Europe as an important strategy to reduce … Continue reading
Rare earth elements and recycling possibilities
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements mined in ores containing low quantities of REEs. They have particular properties essential to many industries. REEs are key components of clean energy and high-tech growth industries, and are therefore considered a critical raw material. REEs are imported into the European Union (EU) from … Continue reading
Mining in the EU: Regulation and the way forward
The EU mining industry may be part of the solution to Europe’s raw material shortage, but sustainability of mining is a key requirement if it is to be revived. Mining and quarrying activities vary widely in profitability, employment and geographical distribution. In addition to general industrial regulation, the EU has adopted some legislation specific to … Continue reading
Raw materials for Europe
The European Commission (EC) has highlighted Europe’s dependence on imports of many raw materials, and that reliable supplies of these are critical to its competitiveness. Global trends show that competition for raw materials will increase in the future and that price levels are unpredictable. The Commission has responded to these challenges with the Raw Materials … Continue reading
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