Fundamental raw materials regulation. The objective of this document is to establish a framework for guarantee the safe and sustainable supply of fundamental raw materials within the Union and the last step of the decision -making procedure in this field.
The aforementioned Fundamental raw materials regulation “Establishes defined deadlines for authorizations procedures for the extraction projects of the UEallows the Commission and Member States to recognize a project as strategic, demands risk assessments of the supply chain, It requires Member States to have national exploration plans and guarantees EU access to fundamental and strategic raw materials through ambitious reference parameters of extraction, treatment, recycling and diversification of import sources”.
With this Fundamental raw materials regulation the UE He wants to convert the challenges of our dependencies into strategic autonomy and an opportunity for our economy. Imposing our mining sector, it will improve our recycling and transformation capacities, create local and good quality jobs and ensure that our industry is prepared for digital and ecological transitions.
Access to fundamental raw materials within the EU
In the final text adopted on March 18, two material lists (34 fundamental and 17 strategic) that they are crucial For ecological and digital transitionsas well as for Defense and Space Industries.
The regulation establishes three reference parameters for the annual consumption of EU raw materials: 10 %, of local extraction; 40 % transformed into the EU and 25 %, from recycled materials.
To facilitate the development of strategic projects, the Member States will create unique contact points at the relevant administrative level and in the corresponding phase of the Value chain of fundamental raw materials.
Extraction projects will receive their permits within a maximum period of 27 months, while recycling and processing projects must receive their authorizations within 15 months, with limited exceptions in order to guarantee an important interaction with local communities affected by projects and an adequate environmental impact assessment in complex cases.
Large companies that manufacture strategic technologies (for example, batteries, hydrogen or renewable generators) producers) They will carry out a risk assessment of their supply chains to detect vulnerabilities.
The European Commission has published the ‘strategic projects’ list
The European Commission has published The list of “strategic projects“Under it Fundamental raw materials regulation to accelerate the obtaining of minerals considered strategic for the energy and digital transition and other industries such as armament. In Spain seven projects have been selectedof which six are for the extraction of minerals and one for recycling.
Ecological organizations They denounce that mines have been chosen with a wide history of irregularities and bad environmental practices, how are those of Las Cruces (Seville), The grill (Cáceres) y Aguablanca (Badajoz)and projects with broad social response for its foreseeable impacts on protected spaces such as those of Las Navas (Cáceres), Doade (Ourense) y The Moto (Ciudad Real).
They remember that the grill mine was sanctioned and closed in 2022 for lacking environmental authorization and by illegally building mining waste rafts, while the crossbrain mine accumulates more than 6.5 million euros in sanctions and compensation for illegal extractions of waters of the aquifer of Gerena and Guillena-Cantillana In case of shortage.
In the case of the Aguablanca mine, Denarius is led by entrepreneurs with a wide history of human rights violations in their gold and oil farms in Colombia.
It is also worrying that of the seven selected projects, only one is of mineral recycling and none of substitution. In fact, Spain has been the European country in which more extraction projects have been presented (ten)contrasting with countries such as Italy, France or Germany, in which most of the projects presented have been substitution, recycling or processed.
This confirms the role of “Sacrifice zone“Attributed to the Iberian peninsula. Spain isin fact, The European country with more extractive projects to which the strategic category has been granted (seven in total).
Europe and Spain are betting on mining without really fostering recycling or reducing the demand for minerals
They have lamented organizations. “We have calculated that applying savings and circularity measures, recycled metals They could cover 67% of demand of minerals up to 2050”They conclude.
Also They indicate the opacity of the Government of Spain and the European Commission during the selection process, as well as the exclusion of potentially affected populations.
This lack of transparency shows uncertainty about the criteria applied to grant certain projects a qualification that will grant them economic and administrative privileges, such as the accelerated process of concession of authorizations. For organizations, this lack of transparency is a violation of Aarhus Agreement on Information, Participation and Environmental Justiceof which Spain is part.
Last December, environmental organizations, the Iberian mining observatory and other European entities They informed the Spanish government and the European Commission An analysis Of these impacts, which are inherent to extractive activity.
The consideration of ‘strategic’ has been attributed to projects whose previous and potential impacts are evident
Organizations also regret that the Government has not used their veto ability to exclude projects that would never have to have been on the table with those background.
In order for EU’s mining policy to be credible and sustainable, it must be based on strategic spatial planning that clearly defines what raw materials are needed, in which places they can be extracted without putting the environment or communities at risk, and under what conditions they must develop.
This planning must be built with criteria of general interest and with a real and reinforced public participation. We cannot let the course be marked by scattered proposals promoted solely by the particular interests of the companies, the organizations claim.
An unsustainable express processing and many risks for biodiversity
Accelerated permissions processing that the legislation grants to the “strategic projects“Prevents An effective participation of local populations. These projects will also have a priority status in administrative and judicial processes and will receive help from the European Commission to obtain financing.
Another very worrying aspect is that selected projects can be considered “of higher public interest”, weakening the application of environmental norms such as Habitats directivethe Water Framework Directive o to de Aves. A very important part of the deposits of the calls “critical minerals”They are very close or within special protection areas such as the Red Natura 2000.
Organizations warn that current policies on critical minerals, Far from guaranteeing a fair ecological transition, They delve into existing social and territorial inequalities and can increase disaffection towards climatic policies.
Nor do they resolve but deepen the expolio of resources of the Global South, without guaranteeing the rights of indigenous peoples or local communities in these countries.
Organizations demandimmediately, A review of the strategic projects selected so that it is guaranteed that this qualification does not receive any project with bad environmental and social practices, or projects located in protected natural spaces, as well as in others that have been deserving of protection incompatible with extractive activities.
They also emphasize that A 180º turn is essential in mineral raw material policies so that demand reduction and metal recycling is prioritizedand The well -being of the population and its surroundings are put in the center of decision -making.