Raw Materials Week 2023: EUMICON's highlights of the activities
From the 13th to 15th of November 2023, the annual Raw Materials Week took place in Brussels, Belgium. As a trusted partner of the European Commission, EUMICON proudly concludes its active participation and contribution to the activities of the Raw Materials Week 2023, offering a week of substantive discussions and collaboration shaping the future of the European industry. Throughout the week, we organised various activities for our partners and stakeholders in the raw materials industry, featuring a diverse range of activities focused on critical topics, including sustainable resource management, innovation, and investment in raw materials.
Highlights of the Week
1. 10th High-Level Conference of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials:
On the 15th, EUMICON co-organised this flagship event with DG GROW, featuring two insightful panels that delved deep into industry challenges and strategic autonomy. Panel 1.1 tackled the pressing issues surrounding stepping up European extraction, processing, and recycling potential. The key messages emphasised creating a level playing field for stakeholders in the decision-making process, expediting permitting processes, increasing investment in extracting, processing and recycling facilities in Europe while making these operations economically viable. Meanwhile, Panel 1.2 shifted the focus to the way ahead for achieving open strategic autonomy for Europe and challenges that the sectors of energy, digitisation and mobility are facing. Moderated by EUMICON's Director General, Roman Stiftner, these discussions critically addressed the question of securing raw materials supply while concurrently reducing dependencies on external sources.
2. High-Level Dinner Debate "Lifting raw materials supply to the next level – For a sustainable and resilient EU":
On the 14th, EUMICON's High-Level Dinner Debate provided a platform to shed light on challenges hindering Europe's industrial and economic sovereignty. Topics included high energy prices, external dependencies, strategic partnerships, regulatory hurdles, and the green and digital transitions. The Critical Raw Materials Act was the key focus of the discussion as this will ensure a secure, diversified, affordable, and sustainable supply of raw materials in Europe.
3. Bilateral meetings with high-level policy-makers from EU institutions:
Simultaneously, EUMICON organised bilateral meetings during the Raw Materials Week, facilitating constructive dialogues between its partners and high-level policy-makers in the European Commission and European Parliament. C-level delegations engaged in meaningful conversations around raw materials value chains Made In Europe, addressing the nuanced challenges faced by the industry.
The Raw Materials Week 2023 marked a significant milestone in shaping the future of the European industry. EUMICON remains steadfast in fostering collaboration and dialogue, contributing to Europe's strategic autonomy in raw materials. We warmly express our heartfelt gratitude to the European Commission for the joint collaboration, as well as all those who attended and followed our activities.
We look forward to seeing you in the Raw Materials Week 2024.