EC Report: Study on the Competitiveness of the EU Primary and Secondary Mineral Raw Materials Sectors

The purpose of this study is to provide the European Commission with a clear and up-to-date understanding regarding the current competitiveness of the EU non-energy extractive industries (NEEI) and recycling industries (RI) in respect of the Mineral Raw Materials Sectors (MRMS). In doing so, the intention is to assist the European Commission, as well as Member States, industry and other stakeholders, in developing, implementing and assessing the policies and actions supporting the goals of EU Industrial policy to increase the share of industry on GDP to 20 % as well as the goals of EU Raw Materials Strategy, and the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials.

Previous studies have identified that some of the NEEI industries face significant challenges associated with global competition, and they foresaw that this was likely to continue. Similar investigations have also concluded that Europe has a significant opportunity in the field of recycling, although the basis for this is not so clear.

Additionally, the Commission emphasises the potential growth that could be realised by developing and enhancing ‘industrial symbiosis’ whereby waste materials from some firms are used as raw material inputs by other firms, as outlined in the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. The combined assessment in this study of both the extractive and recycling industries aims, for the first time, to present a combined picture of the MRMS. It is hoped that this affords valuable insight as part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, helping to support the development of MRMS for the benefit of Europe.

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