Considering the ongoing digitalisation and transition to green energies in Europe, members of the European Parliament highlighted the European Union’s dependence on imports of resources and called for more recycling of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), finding alternative solutions to them and domestic sourcing during a plenary session of the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE committee) held in Strasbourg on 24 November.
As rapporteur, MEP Hildegard Bentele successfully presented the European strategy for critical raw materials’ report.
Extremely glad about the huge majority of colleagues (543:52:94) who supported my strategic initiative report on #criticalrawmaterials. It shows that colleagues care about the fact that we need a resilient industrial base for the Green Deal and the twin transformation, … (1/3)
— Hildegard Bentele (@hildebentele) November 24, 2021
The increasing use of technologies led to a higher demand for CRMs. By highlighting the need to boost the EU’s strategic autonomy in CRMs, MEPs propose to work towards the EU resilience and securing strategic value chains for a green and digital Europe. MEPs’ recommendations include, amongst others, the diversification of CRMs sources, better funds for CRM projects under the National Recovery Plans and the Taxonomy Regulation, and stronger controls of EU exports of CRM waste products.
For more details, please read the ITRE Committee press release.