State Mining Authority

The 30th Meeting of the Heads of the Mining Authorities of European Countries took place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (United Kingdom) from 21 to 23 September 2026.

Delegations from Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Ireland and the United Kingdom took part in this year’s conference.  The Polish side was represented by Piotr Litwa, President of the State Mining Authority, and Małgorzata Waksmańska, Director of the Department of Law at the State Mining Authority.

The theme of the meeting was ‘Critical and strategic mineral resources; securing supplies by supporting existing production, building new mines and reopening closed sites to exploit resources in sensitive areas’. Participants exchanged knowledge and experiences regarding the support of mining production and the development of the extraction of critical, strategic and other essential raw materials. The event was rounded off by a visit to the construction site of the Woodsmith deep-sea polyhalite mine (Whitby, North Yorkshire, England).

In accordance with established practice, the meeting concluded with the signing of a memorandum on further cooperation in the broadest sense. It was provisionally agreed that the next, 31st Meeting of the Heads of European Mining Authorities in 2027 would be hosted by Serbia.

For many years, meetings of the heads of European mining authorities have been an important part of a wider network of cooperation between supervisory and regulatory bodies responsible for mining and geology across Europe. Held annually, these meetings provide a forum for exchanging experience and discussing current issues concerning the work of mining authorities and the operation of the extractive industry in individual European countries.