Euromines President Mark Rachovides participated in the fifth European Mining Business Forum in Sofia, Bulgaria on 18 May. At this event, which Euromines helped organise, high-level decision makers from across Europe discussed the future of the mining industry in the context of the increasing demand for resource independence of the European Union. 

On 10-12 April, the first Ever EU-Latin America Mining & Exploration Convention and Trade Show (METS 2018) took place in Madrid, Spain. METS 2018 was part of the EU-Latin America Mineral Development Network Platform (MDNP) project which aims to boost a continuous and structured cooperation between the EU and Latin America.

The 2018 PDAC International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange took place in Toronto, Canada from 4-7 March. The event is considered the premier international convention for the mining sector and attracted over 25,000 people from 135 countries. Some individual member states have participated in the 4-day conference in the past, but the EU had an official presence for the first time this year. 

On the afternoon of 24 January2018, European Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, met with the Industry4Europe delegation. Euromines’ director Corina Hebestreit participated in the meeting as she is the rapporteur for skills and training. The Commissioner highlighted this issue as a top priority.