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European Raw Materials Alliance contributes to Europe’s industrial resilience

European Raw Materials Alliance contributes to Europe’s industrial resilience

The European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA), launched by the European Commission and managed by EIT RawMaterials, was on the spotlight at the 2021 EU Industry Days.

On 23 February 2021, President von der Leyen, in the opening speech at the EU Industry Days 2021, highlighted the importance of the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) to build Europe’s resilience, reduce dependency on third countries, improve resource efficiency and circularity to ensure Europe’s ambition for a green and digital future.

 

 

Green and digital technologies currently depend on a number of scarce raw materials. We import lithium for electric cars, platinum to produce clean hydrogen, silicon metal for solar panels. 98% of the rare earth elements we need come from a single supplier: China. This is not sustainable. So we must diversify our supply chains. And at the same time, we must invest in circular technologies that re-use resources instead of constantly extracting them. This is the goal of our Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials. This is why we have proposed to create a European Raw Materials Alliance.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

The European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) was announced on 3 September 2020 as part of the Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials and the publication of the 2020 List of Critical Raw Materials. EIT RawMaterials manages the Alliance and is committed to contributing to the achievement of the objectives set by the EU Green Deal as raw materials are indispensable drivers for the transformation from the brown to the green economy.

Raw materials play a vital role in the revival, autonomy and resilience of Europe’s industrial ecosystems. The European RawMaterials Alliance has grown to over 450 members, from Greenland to Australia. Over 100 investment cases are currently being evaluated, and we are committed to creating sustainable, responsible and resilient value chains to boost Europe’s green and digital transition.

Bernd Schäfer, CEO, Managing Director of EIT RawMaterials

Metals, minerals, and advanced materials are the key enablers for a globally competitive, green, and digital Europe

The European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) contributes to ensuring reliable, secure, and sustainable access to raw materials. ERMA’s vision is to secure access to critical and strategic raw materials, advanced materials, and processing know-how for EU industrial ecosystems.

ERMA aims to make Europe economically more resilient by diversifying its supply chains, creating jobs, attracting investments to the raw materials value chain, fostering innovation, training young talents, and contributing to the best enabling framework for raw materials and the circular economy worldwide.

Raw materials are the key enablers of the transition from the linear to the circular economy. Besides its role in boosting investments in the raw materials sectors and increasing EU’s resilience, the European Raw Materials Alliance is a funnel for recommendations on specific actions that are economically, socially, and environmentally sound and responsible, to the benefit of the whole community.

Massimo Gasparon, ERMA Director

The Alliance involves all relevant stakeholders, including industrial actors along the value chain, Member States and regions, trade unions, civil society, research and technology organisations, investors, and NGOs.

By 2030, ERMA’s activities will increase the production of raw and advanced materials and address the circular economy by boosting the recovery and recycling of critical raw materials.

More about ERMA