Critical Raw Materials Act: Our response to the EC's consultation.

The vital transition away from fossil fuels towards cleaner technologies for transport  will drive, depending on the technology, the demand for raw materials like lithium, nickel. Whilst some CRMs are available in the EU, Europe is largely dependent on third countries for mining, processing, refining and recycling, even more so in the case of batteries needed for EVs and considering the current geostrategic tensions. We would therefore strongly welcome a CRM package beginning of 2023 to tackle our three concerns:

With the e-mobility transition, the EU is lacking an EV value chain beyond battery manufacturing – i.e. extraction, refining, processing, and recycling, which today is located in third countries – and a coherent approach of using existing EU sources of battery materials.

Hurdles to permitting is due to a) the plurality of mining codes in Europe bringing different levels of ambition and lack of coherence across Member States. This leads to, in some cases, not having any safeguards in relation to social or environmental protection; b) lengthy permitting processes when multiple permits are required for both renewable energy production and sustainable mineral extraction projects; c) lack of expert capacity to ensure the efficient, robust and timely evaluation of Environmental Impact Assessments and Area Assessments.

Limited amounts of sustainably sourced materials, notably due to limited geological mapping of available resources. Barriers also exist to the reuse and repurposing of EV parts that could extend the lifecycle of CRMs before recycling.

Include a single strategy on raw materials that defines expected needs, challenges, priorities and key lines of action with specific objectives of reducing the need of primary CRMs, with efficient reuse and recycle.

Assess the need of stockpiling mechanisms.

Provide financial, political support (e.g. tax reductions) to economic actors meeting the highest existing environmental and social standards. For EU-sourced material, the initiative would then work in relation with the package of environmental policies that control impacts from its domestic mining and refining operations and the high EU social standards.

Incentivise keeping valuable battery material in Europe, available for domestic recyclers, justifying their investments in EU today and incentivise the recycling of production scrap and blackmass/BAMM in EU.

Ensure the sustainability of CRMs by addressing adverse environmental and social impacts of their production or recycling. For imports, supply should come from responsible sources with robust certification, due diligence rules setting legal requirements for suppliers to control risk across their supply chains.

Support geological surveys to determine accessibility of domestic resources, including waste.

Mandate specific marking for any product containing CRMs to facilitate their recovery and recycling.

Streamline robust permitting processes without undermining existing environmental laws and in compliance of ESG criteria.

Support permitting authorities with additional expert capacities.

Digitalize permitting processes to ensure transparency and full engagement from project developers to local communities.

Support financially the development of recycling capacities as all recycling activities are not financially viable today due to the low cost of some primary resources. Support for the development of recycling capacities is indeed crucial to the circularity and sustainability aspect of CRM sourcing.

 Ensure consistency across different pieces of legislation – notably the proposed lithium salts classification – and make sense of the needs of the CRM demand sector.

Give the ERMAlliance the overall view of EU levers and make it a driving force behind the implementation of the strategy.