The conference addressed key issues related to EU raw materials policy and the EU's priorities in that area were discussed, including the implementation of national plans of mineral deposits exploration for the production of critical raw materials, the diversification of supply chains and the development of international cooperation.

The importance of the use of secondary raw materials and raw materials substitution as elements of a sustainable critical raw materials management strategy in Europe was also emphasised.

First summaries and plans for the future

The first year of the EU regulation on critical raw materials (Critical Raw Materials Act – CRMA) has become an opportunity to sum up the activities to date and to share experiences in the field of implementation of national exploration plans, the establishment of contact points and the implementation of strategic projects, inter alia. In particular, projects with the purpose of securing and diversifying the supply of raw materials to the European market were discussed.

The European Commission has announced a list of 47 strategic projects, including two key Polish projects: the Puławy rare earths separation plant and the Povolt battery recycling plant along with the critical raw materials recovery facility in Zawiercie. These projects are the foundation for the future raw material security of both Poland and the entire European Union.
Challenges and prospects for Poland and the EU

The implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act assumptions, involving primarily the implementation of National Exploration Programmes and strategic projects, is an important step on the long road to improving the raw materials security of the European Union, as well as Poland

- said Krzysztof Galos, Undersecretary of State, Chief National Geologist at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Member of the European Council on Critical Raw Materials.

Due to the length of investment processes, especially in the mining sector, the effects will not be immediate, but will certainly be significant, especially in the medium perspective. We need to increase the extraction, processing and recycling of critical raw materials in the EU, diversify the supply routes of raw materials from outside the EU and create adequate strategic reserves

- added said Krzysztof Galos, Undersecretary of State, Chief National Geologist at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Member of the European Council on Critical Raw Materials.
Krzysztof Galos

Conference conclusions

The conference in Kraków is an important step towards further strengthening of the European Union's raw materials policy, the purpose of which is the increase of the security of critical raw materials supply. The event participants stressed the need to continue to work towards the sustainable development of raw materials production and use, as well as enhancing international cooperation in that area. Thanks to initiatives such as the Polish projects, the European Union gains a solid basis for securing its future raw material independence.