C 224/28
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
8.6.2022
Wednesday 24 November 2021
4.
Notes that the development and future large-scale deployment of technologies, including emerging digital applications, renewable electricity generation and batteries for electric vehicles and light means of transport, will boost demand for certain CRMs and other raw materials; calls for it to be taken into account that rising climate and digital ambitions by countries increases competition in global markets and puts an additional strain on the security of their supply in Europe;
5.
Calls on the Commission to carefully review the criticality assessment methodology before 2023, ahead of the publication of the next list of CRMs, in order to assess whether the list needs broadening, taking into account the development of the international situation related to CRMs, scenarios for future demand for CRMs and other raw materials, and social and ecological criteria based on the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights and the SDGs, to get a broader picture of extraction conditions across the globe; further calls on the Commission to duly take into account all environmental externalities related to extraction and processing in its supply risk analysis; also calls for a comprehensive debate involving all stakeholders;
6.
Calls on the Commission to pay attention not only to CRMs but also to the potential criticality of other raw materials needed for strong supply chains, the continuity of production and the twin transition, and their availability from EU sources, also taking into account natural mineral scarcity; underlines that, in addition to specialised minerals, ‘commonly produced’ raw materials such as copper, helium and nickel are also becoming critical as demand for them increases in a climate-neutral society;
7.
Asks the Commission to take a holistic approach when assessing the implications of several low-carbon, renewable and digital technologies competing for the same CRMs and to examine critical supply chains, also with regard to the needs of individual sectors; stresses the importance of ensuring that the energy-efficiency-first principle, zero emissions and resource-efficient solutions prevail;
8.
Asks the Commission to make sure that national resilience and recovery plans under NextGenerationEU tackle the challenges linked to economically, environmentally and socially sustainable CRM supply; asks the Member States to invest more in CRM recycling and include CRM requirements, sources of supply and costs in their strategic recovery plans;
9.
Calls for investment in the training and reskilling of workers, including through the Just Transition Mechanism, as mining skills can be transferred to metal and mineral exploitation, processing and recycling, preferably in the same regions; calls on the Commission to ensure that respective funding also addresses the social, employment and environmental impacts of the transition in former mining areas;
10.
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create, as soon as possible, an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on CRMs to strategically and sustainably plan for our demand for the twin transition, covering requirements, sources of supply and (social, environmental and financial) costs; stresses that the IPCEI should cover all the relevant topics in order to reduce criticality and dependence, such as recycling, reuse, substitution, reduction of material use and mining; highlights that these projects should unlock the unfulfilled potential in CRM-rich EU countries that have large untapped sources;
11.
Calls on the Commission to promote research and development on and skills and competencies relating to CRMs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a growth strategy for EU high-tech technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, wind turbines, electric traction motors, photovoltaic technology, robotics, drones, 3D printing and a broad range of digital technologies and medical devices;
12.
Calls on the Commission to conduct a comprehensive, scientific and evidence-based impact assessment to determine the minimum volumes of CRMs of strategic importance required for the twin transition;