The main theme of this issue of Euromines Newsletter is new technologies and policies for mining and mining products. The Newsletter focuses on the role of new technologies and policy approaches for a future mining industry in Europe.

Euromines Annual Report 2014 is now available. The theme of this year’s Annual Report is  based  on Euromines Raw Materials Campaign and includes three main chapters covering the topics Euromines deals with throughout the year. The first part focuses on sustainable supply of raw materials, sector competitiveness and new European Industrial Policy. Whereas the second chapter highlights the human factor and focuses on mining employment, local communities, innovation and health and safety. The third part describes the number of achievements in the field of environment and energy.

In the last decade, a structural change has taken place in the world’s mineral markets and the global demand for raw materials stands at the bottom of a new growth curve. In this perspective, safeguarding the domestic minerals supply in a sustainable and responsible way will be challenging not only to Europe but also to other technologically advanced countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa and the United States. As part of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Programme for Research & Innovation (R&I), the new EU funded 36‐month project INTRAW has been launched in February 2015 to foster international cooperation on raw materials.

Organised by the African Union Commission and the European Commission the EU-AU Joint Session on Infrastructure for the Minerals Sector took place in Brussels from 19th to 20th March 2015.

The aim of this event was to discuss the infrastructure needs of the raw materials sector and identify ways in which those can find support in the broader context of existing and planned infrastructure projects and networks.