{"id":105570,"date":"2021-11-17T14:54:18","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T13:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=105570"},"modified":"2021-11-18T17:13:59","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T16:13:59","slug":"meps-vote-on-critical-raw-materials-what-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/hr\/meps-vote-on-critical-raw-materials-what-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"MEPs vote on Critical Raw Materials: what to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRESS BRIEFING<\/em><\/p>\n

Brussels, 17 November 2021 – Next week, the European Parliament will vote on their opinion on the European Commission\u2019s Critical Raw Materials Action Plan. This is the first time the European Parliament will vote on this issue. Overall, they are set to support the Commission\u2019s damaging plan of action to secure EU access for continued extraction and overconsumption of raw materials.<\/p>\n

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Background <\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Action Plan<\/a>, published in September 2020, outlines EU plans to access a set of 30 raw materials deemed \u201ccritical for the EU\u201d but with \u201csupply challenges\u201d. These are mostly metals and minerals found in everyday products, and of particular importance for green and digital transition technologies. Civil society were critical of the Action Plan<\/a>, calling it a \u201cdesperate plunder for resources\u201d<\/strong>, and said it gifts industry further influence over policy-making<\/strong>, with the setting up of the industry-driven European Raw Materials Alliance.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Nature and communities are on the frontlines of these plans of extraction and exploitation in a frantic search for ways to continue the EU economic growth model, yet be more \u201cgreen\u201d. Communities outside of the EU, where the EU still source almost all of these materials, will continue to suffer at the hands of EU overconsumption and unfair trade rules. Communities in the EU are also increasingly seeing new mining projects planned<\/a>, from lithium to rare earth mines, in Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Finland and beyond.<\/p>\n

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Report and vote<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The European Parliament\u2019s opinion (attached to email) is led by its Industry Committee, with German EPP MEP Hildegard Bentele as rapporteur. Opinions from the Environment and Trade Committees have also been mostly merged into the opinion report.<\/p>\n

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With the EPP as lead, the report as it stands largely reflects the European Commission narrative and content. Some progressive parts have made it through from the Environment committee opinion, led by Belgian Greens MEP Sara Matthieu, whilst some damaging additions have been made by the Trade committee, led by Austrian ID MEP Roman Haider (see below).<\/p>\n

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European Parliament groups can submit amendments to the final report today (Wednesday 17th November). It is likely EPP, ECR and ID will submit several amendments to weaken the text. The final vote will be on either Wednesday 24th or Thursday 25th November.<\/p>\n

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See Friends of the Earth Europe and the European Environmental Bureau\u2019s recent report on the topic: Green Mining is\u00a0 Myth: the case for cutting EU resource consumption<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Key issues <\/strong><\/p>\n

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The report overall maintains the damaging assertion that the EU can easily continue to exploit other countries\u2019, and its own, nature and communities to meet EU material and energy overconsumption.<\/strong> There are some positive parts, but overall, these are outweighed by harmful and contradictory parts.<\/p>\n

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Key \u201cgood +\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cbad –<\/strong>\u201d paragraphs to keep an eye on:<\/p>\n

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