Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-08-Speech-2-738-000"
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"en.20110308.31.2-738-000"2
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"Madam President, honourable Members, as you know, at the beginning of February, the Commission approved the updating of the EU strategy on raw materials, which is based on three pillars.
As for recycling, it presents huge technological challenges, particularly since the quantity of raw materials contained in many products is infinitely small. Our strategy is intended to promote recycling through measures aimed at improving the implementation and application of EU waste management legislation.
Furthermore, we shall continue to encourage research and innovation in the recycling and substitution sector, as has already been done under the Seventh Framework Programme for financing projects concerning the substitution of rare earths. In this context, the Commission is examining the possibility of launching an innovation partnership in the field of raw materials and hopes to present a specific proposal within the next few months. We have also begun a cooperation exercise with the United States in the field of innovation, and we are examining the possibility of cooperating with Japan as well.
Naturally, we shall continue to keep a close eye on the problem of essential raw materials in order to define the priority measures required, and we believe that security of raw material supplies is essentially the responsibility of companies. However, we are prepared to discuss, in close cooperation with the Member States, the costs, potential benefits and added value of a raw material stockpiling programme.
This is what we are doing, but naturally, I am always ready to listen to any suggestions from Parliament in order to ensure that the Commission continues to work actively on a matter that is crucial for the competitiveness of our European entrepreneurial system.
The first concerns the supply of raw materials from outside the European Union through agreements with the African Union. We have put the raw materials issue on the agenda of our meetings with the Russian Federation. Moreover, as I said during the previous debate, in June, I will travel to Brazil, Argentina and Chile to initiate diplomatic action with those Latin American countries as well. Then I will talk about the relationship with China.
The second pillar is about ensuring a more sustainable supply within the EU. This is why we have updated the implementing rules of Natura 2000, in agreement with Commissioner Potočnik. We want to ensure that they are interpreted in a way that will not harm extraction activities but, at the same time, we want to ensure that the environment is still respected.
The third pillar concerns recycling and the efficient use of resources. I would repeat what I said during the previous debate: as part of our innovation policy, we are planning a series of innovation partnerships in various sectors, one of these being the raw materials sector. One of the innovation partnerships will concentrate, in particular, on activities that we can carry out in the raw materials recycling and substitution sector.
The new communication emphasises, in particular, the situation concerning the supply of rare earths and other essential raw materials. There is no doubt that the reduction in the rare earth export quota decided by China significantly limits the global supply. We are assessing the situation in order to identify the most suitable multilateral instruments, including the World Trade Organisation and our bilateral relations with China.
At the WTO, we have initiated a dispute settlement procedure against China regarding access to the nine principal raw materials in 2009. The examination of the case is at an advanced stage, and the conclusions will, of course, be very important for our discussions concerning the initiation of a WTO procedure on rare earths.
At bilateral level, the Commission has taken up the issue with the Chinese Government on several occasions, from both a political and a technical point of view. At the end of 2010, a working party was set up between the EU and China to facilitate the dialogue on issues relating to rare earths and other raw materials.
The EU will conduct, within the scope of strategic partnerships and of dialogues on future policies, an active raw materials diplomacy with the aim of guaranteeing access to these materials, and to essential materials in particular. One example, as I said, is the initiation of a bilateral dialogue in the context of the 2011-2013 Joint Africa-EU strategy, which includes a section specifically dedicated to raw materials. I have already told you about our relations with Russia and Latin America.
Within the EU, the Commission is supporting the exploration of essential raw material deposits, and this objective is promoted in particular by the ProMine 2009-2013 project, which comes under the Seventh Framework Programme."@en1
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