You don’t have to look far to find someone prepared to knock the European Union. This feels particularly true for Mining Journal, based in the UK, where an ‘In-Out’ referendum on EU membership in June has provoked an increase in anti-EU rhetoric.
In mining circles, at times, it’s not much better....

The hunt for Europe’s reserves is attracting money from across the globe.

European exploration expenditure is estimated to have reached approximately €400 million (US$300 million) in 2011, an alltime high, both for the Nordic countries and Western Europe in total. Raw Materials Group (RMG) expects exploration spending to increase during 2012 by 1015% to reach €450 million, of which €265 million will be in the Nordic region.