How the EU plans to reduce the environmental impact of raw materials

By Tom Carter, Senior Associate

The European Commission has released an action plan for managing the EU’s acquisition of critical raw materials. In conjunction with the plan, the list of such materials has increased from 17 to 30.

Why this matters

The plan enhances Europe’s resilience to potential shortages of critical materials—whether driven by environmental, economic, or geopolitical factors—by facilitating the development of a system for reducing dependence on non-EU countries and ensuring diverse and varied sources.

Impact on the EU Green Deal

The plan is also connected to the European Green Deal (EGD) in that it incorporates steps to assess and reduce the environmental impact of the extraction, processing, use, and disposal of raw materials. In fact, reducing the use of potentially harmful materials is a key objective of both the EGD and the action plan on the acquisition of critical raw materials. 

The Commission will develop strategic international partnerships to secure the supply of critical raw materials not found in Europe. Pilot partnerships with Canada, interested countries in Africa and the EU's neighbourhood will start as of 2021. In these and other fora of international cooperation, the Commission will promote sustainable and responsible mining practices and transparency.

What does the EU Green Deal mean for your business?

For more details about our perspective on the European Green Deal, check out Amplia Group’s four-part blog series on the EGD. Meet our Sustainability team, composed of experts in EU policy, sustainability, and marketing and public affairs.