The last months have shown the extent of the impact that dependencies on energy supply can have. The raw materials sector, the basis of our economy, is no exception to these dependencies, which is why a strategy to strengthen the domestic European industry is crucial. Keeping industrial value chains in Europe is one of the key strategic interests for the European Union and its industry. The transformation of the European economy comes along
with a massively increased demand for critical raw materials, needed for the green and digital transitions, which makes the new legislation strategically important.
Since other major powers are taking action to strengthen their respective value chains, it is high time that the European Union sets the legislative framework to further enhance domestic primary production, facilitate recycling in the strive for establishing a true circular economy, but also to conclude strategic partnerships for some of the raw materials Europe cannot produce on its own. The soon to be published European Critical Raw Materials Act will help in achieving these goals, answering to increasing global instability and fostering domestic capacities along the critical raw materials value chain in an attempt to reduce our dependencies as much as possible. To strengthen the domestic industry, the questions of access to materials, permitting processes, investment de-risking need to be raised and answered.
The use of domestic sources combined with recycling will be a precondition to achieve the goals of the Fit for 55 package. We must move toward identifying particularly strategic raw materials that are needed for the technologies behind renewable energies, to frame and focus our efforts.
Speakers:
- Ms Hildegard BENTELE, Member of the European Parliament
- Mr Paolo CERRUTI, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Northvolt
- Ms Virginie DE CHASSEY, Member of Executive Committee, Eramet
- Ms Henrike HAHN, Member of the European Parliament
Moderation: Mr. Joaquim NUNES DE ALMEIDA, Director, DG GROW, European