Euromines will participate in Mining and Minerals Hall (MMH 2026), taking place from 20 to 22 October 2026 in Seville, Spain.
Mark Rachovides, President Emeritus of Euromines, will participate in the panel discussion “The World Facing the Challenge of Critical Minerals: Real Capacity or Structural Dependence?” on 20 October. He will be joined by Lluis Rodriguez, VP & CR Iberia Director & Ext Comm Europe at ICL, a member of the Euromines Executive Committee, representing Euromines member company ICL Iberia.
Cynthia Mestanza, Environmental, Health & Safety Manager at Euromines, will moderate the panel debate “What happens next? Rehabilitation and opportunities for sustainable continuity” on 22 October.
Cynthia’s session will explore how the mining sector can contribute to nature restoration throughout the life cycle of a mining project, demonstrating how rehabilitated mining areas can be transformed into restored landscapes that support nature recovery and enable future land uses.
Bringing together perspectives from industry, regional authorities and academia, the discussion will address lessons learned, current challenges and emerging opportunities in mine rehabilitation and restoration. Panellists will also consider how restoration practices can be further supported across Europe to promote the sustainable and responsible legacy of mining activities.
Panel discussion: The World Facing the Challenge of Critical Minerals: Real Capacity or Structural Dependence
Date: 20 October 2026
Time: 12:00-13:15 CEST
Location: Auditorium Atalaya
Panellists
- Ana Palacio, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain and Visiting Professor, Georgetown University
- Manuel Viera, President of the Mining Chamber of Chile
- Daniel Torrejón Braojos, Deputy Director General of Mines, Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge
- Jesús Portillo García-Pintos, Director General of Mines, Sustainable Mining and Raw Materials Science; Chairman of S3P Mining Regions, Regional Government of Andalusia
- Mark Rachovides, President Emeritus, Euromines
- Lluis Rodriguez, VP & CR Iberia Director & Ext Comm Europe, ICL (Moderator)
Panel discussion: What happens next? Rehabilitation and opportunities for sustainable continuity
Date: 22 October 2026
Time: 12:00–13:15 CEST
Location: Auditorium Atalaya
Language: English
Panellists
- Manuel Vázquez Mora, Technical Adviser on Mining Matters, Directorate-General for Industry, Energy and Mining, Regional Government of Andalusia
- José F. Martín Duque, Professor of Geomorphology, Complutense University of Madrid
- Mark Tibbett, Professor of Soil Ecology, University of Reading, United Kingdom
- Les Sawatsky, Consultant in Water Resources Management and Engineering, Teleo Engineering Ltd.
- Kate Harcourt, Senior Independent Director, Atalaya Mining
- Cynthia Mestanza, Environmental, Health & Safety Manager, Euromines (Moderator)
Programme
12:00–12:03 – Welcome and introduction
Opening remarks by Cynthia Mestanza.
12:03–12:22 – Panellists’ field presentations
Short presentations highlighting practical experience and perspectives on mine rehabilitation and restoration.
12:22–13:00 – Panel discussion and Q&A
An exchange on lessons learned, ongoing challenges and opportunities to strengthen restoration outcomes across Europe.
13:00–13:15 – Closing remarks
