The city of Larnaca recently hosted a major event for Europe’s raw materials community: the Entrepreneurs’ Forum “Why Do We Need Minerals?”. The event was held under the auspices of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union and brought together more than 150 participants from over 20 countries.
The programme was co-organised by Euromines, together with Aggregates Europe, Eurogypsum, and alongside national partners from Cyprus and Greece. Discussions focused on the strategic importance of raw materials for Europe’s competitiveness, resilience, and green and digital transitions.
High-level political engagement
The events featured strong institutional participation, including an address by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, who underlined the importance of secure and sustainable access to raw materials for Europe’s future. The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, also participated, reinforcing Cyprus’ role in advancing the EU raw materials agenda during its Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Senior representation from Euromines, including its Director General Rolf Kuby and the President Emeritus Mark Rachovides, was present across the programme, reflecting the organisation’s continued engagement in European policy dialogue on raw materials.
Cooperation across the sector and along the value chain
During the event, participants highlighted several common themes:
- The essential role of minerals and raw materials in infrastructure, housing, energy, mobility, and defence
- The need to balance environmental objectives with industrial competitiveness
- The importance of improving permitting efficiency while maintaining high environmental standards
- The limits of recycling and substitution in meeting near-term material demand
- The need to strengthen Europe’s domestic supply base to reduce strategic dependencies
Speakers underlined that innovation, circular economy approaches, and primary production are complementary elements in securing long-term material supply. The joint organisation by Aggregates Europe, Eurogypsum, and Euromines highlighted growing cooperation across the aggregates, industrial minerals, and metals sectors. This collaboration reflected a shared understanding that Europe’s industrial and climate ambitions depend on a secure and sustainable supply of raw materials across the entire value chain. The discussions in Larnaca reinforced a shared conclusion across sectors: Europe’s long-term competitiveness and resilience depend on secure, sustainable access to raw materials, underpinned by cooperation between industry, policymakers, and institutions.
