Activities of Dragoş TUDORACHE related to 2023/0079(COD)
Plenary speeches (2)
Framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (debate)
Framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020
Amendments (28)
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Access to raw materials is essential for the Union economy and the functioning of the internal market. There is a set of non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials that, due to their high economic importance and their exposure to high supply risk, often caused by a high concentration of supply from a few third countries, are considered critical. Often, these third countries are ruled by non-democratic regimes and leverage their resources to exert undue influence on the Union or even as coercive mechanisms against the Union. Given the key role of many such critical raw materials in realising the green and digital transitions, and in light of their use for security and defence and space applications, demand will increase exponentially in the coming decades. At the same time, the risk of supply disruptions is increasing against the background of rising geopolitical tensions and resource competition, both within the EU and with our strategic partners. Furthermore, if not managed properly, increased demand for critical raw materials could lead to negative environmental and social impacts. Considering these trends, it is necessary to take measures to ensure access to a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials to safeguard the Union's economic resilience and open, security and long term strategic autonomygoals.
Amendment 53 #
(2a) Once the Union has created its common strategy and framework, it is necessary to have a structured dialogue with our strategic partners, especially the US, to share the needs analysis and mapping of resources and extraction of critical raw materials, to avoid a harmful race between partners, and, moreover, to pool capacity in obtaining mutually beneficial access to critical raw materials.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Firstly, in order to effectively ensure the Union's access to a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, that framework should include measures to decrease the Union's growing supply risks by strengthening Union capacities along all stages of the strategic raw materials value chain, including extraction, processing and recycling, towards benchmarks defined for each strategic raw material. Secondly, as the Union will continue to rely on imports, the framework should include measures to increase the diversification of external supplies of strategic raw materials, and derisking from China, as its regime poses a great long-term risk for the EU. Thirdly, is necessary to provide measures to reinforce the Union’s ability to monitor and mitigate existing and future supply risks. Fourthly, the framework should contain measures to increase the circularity and sustainability of the critical raw materials consumed in the Union.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) In order to ensure that the measures set out in the Regulation focus on the most relevant materials, a list of strategic raw materials and a list of critical raw materials should be established. Those lists should also serve to guide and coordinate Member States’ efforts to contribute to the realisation of the aims of this Regulation. The list of strategic raw materials should contain raw materials that are of high strategic importance, taking into account their use in strategic technologies underpinning the green and digital transitions or for defence or space applications, that are characterised by a potentially significant gap between global supply and projected demand, and for which an increase in production is relatively difficult, for instance due to long lead-times for new projects increasing supply capacity. To take account of possible technological and economic changes, the list of strategic materials should be periodically reviewed and, if necessary, updated. In order to ensure that efforts to increase the Union capacities along the value chain, reinforce the Union’s capacity to monitor and mitigate supply risks and increase diversification of supply are focused on the materials for which they are most needed, the relevant measures should only apply to the list of strategic and critical raw materials.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The list of critical raw materials should contain all strategic raw materials as well as any other raw materials of high importance for the overall Union economy and for which there is a high risk of supply disruption, naturally or intentionally. To take account of possible technological and economic changes, the Commission should, in continuation of current practice, periodically perform an assessment based on data for production, trade, applications, recycling, and substitution for a wide range of raw materials to update the lists of critical and strategic raw materials reflecting the evolution in the economic importance and supply risk associated with those raw materials. The list of critical raw materials should include those raw materials which reach or exceed the thresholds for both economic importance and supply risk, without ranking the relevant raw materials in terms of criticality. This assessment should be based on an average of the latest available data over a 5-year-period. The measures set out in this Regulation related to one stop shop for permitting, planning, exploration, monitoring, circularity, and sustainability should apply to all critical raw materials.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The list of critical raw materials should contain all strategic raw materials as well as any other raw materials of high importance for the overall Union economy and for which there is a high risk of supply disruption. To take account of possible technological and economic changes, the Commission should, in continuation of current practice, periodically perform an assessment based on data for production, trade, applications, recycling, and substitution for a wide range of raw materials to update the lists of critical and strategic raw materials reflecting the evolution in the economic importance and supply risk associated with those raw materials. The list of critical raw materials should include those raw materials which reach or exceed the thresholds for both economic importance and supply risk, without ranking the relevant raw materials in terms of criticality. This assessment should be based on an average of the latest available data over a 52-year-period. The measures set out in this Regulation related to one stop shop for permitting, planning, exploration, monitoring, circularity, and sustainability should apply to all critical raw materials.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) For some raw materials, the Union is almost fully dependent on a single country for its supply. Such dependencies entail a high risk of supply disruptions. To limit such potential risk and increase the Union’s economic resilience, efforts should be undertaken to ensure that, by 2030, it is not dependent on a single third country for more than 645% of its supply of any strategic raw material, unprocessed and at any stage of processing, giving however special consideration to countries with whom the Union has established a Strategic Partnership on raw materials giving rise to greater assurances regarding supply risks. Furthermore, dependencies should be gradually reduced and bought to a minimum when they tie us to non- democratic countries who actively challenge the rules-based international system.
Amendment 76 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to ensure the sustainability of increased raw material production, new raw materials projects should be implemented sustainably. To that end, the Strategic Projects receiving support under this Regulation should be assessed taking into account international instruments covering all aspects of sustainability highlighted in the EU principles for sustainable raw materials31 , including ensuring environmental protection, socially responsible practices, including respect for human rights such as the rights of women, and transparent business practices. Projects should also ensure engagement in good faith as well as comprehensive, pragmatic and meaningful consultations with local communities, including with indigenous peoples. To provide project promoters with a clear and efficient way of complying with this criterion, compliance with relevant Union legislation, international standards, guidelines and principles or participation in a certification scheme recognised under this Regulation should be considered sufficient. The project promoters should have a deep understanding of the country they are negotiating with, build a relationship with the local communities and truly understand their needs, input and ouput to the project. The EU needs to build long-term partnerships that go beyond the sole purpose of accesing raw materials, but create diplomatic ties in a deeply polarized geopolitical context. _________________ 31 European Commission, Directorate- General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, EU principles for sustainable raw materials, Publications Office, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/27875
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) To ensure the effective and efficient treatment of applications, the Commission should be able prioritise the processing of applications for projects related to specific underrepresented value chain stages or strategic raw materials, in order to be able to ensure the Union's balanced progress towards all benchmark for Union capacity included in this Regulation. The Commission should also proactively seek out partner countries to promote strategic collaborations.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) In order to reduce complexity and increase efficiency and transparency in permitting process, project promoters of critical raw materials projects should be able to interact with a single national authority, which is responsible for facilitating and coordinating the entire permit granting process and in the case of Strategic Projects shall issue a comprehensive decision within the applicable time limit. To that end, Member States should designate a single national competent authority. Where needed in light of a Member State's internal organisation, the tasks of the national competent authority should be able to be delegated to a different authority, subject to the same conditions. To ensure the effective implementation of its responsibilities, Member States should provide their national competent authority, or any authority acting on its behalf, with sufficient qualified personnel and resources.
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 46
Recital 46
(46) To address the current lack of information on the critical raw materials potential of closed extractive waste facilities, Member States should draw up a database containing all information relevant to promote the recovery, notably the quantities and concentrations of critical raw materials in the extractive waste facility, in compliance with Union competition rules. The information should be made publicly available and in a user- friendly and digital form, enabling access to more detailed, technical information. To facilitate interactive, user-friendly access to the information, Member States should for instance provide a point of contact to enable more in-depth exchanges with potential developers of critical raw materials recovery projects. The database should be designed to allow potential project promoters to easily identify facilities with a high potential for economically viable recovery. To focus limited resources, Member States should follow a staged approach in the collection of information and perform the more demanding information collection steps only for the most promising facilities. The information collection activities should be aimed at providing accurate and representative information on the extractive waste facilities and gaining the best possible indication of the critical raw materials recovery potential.
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. The general objective of this Regulation is to improve the functioning of the internal market by establishing a framework to ensure the Union's access to a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, while strengthening existing democratic partnerships and creating new diplomatic ties with the Global South.
Amendment 118 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) reduce dependencies on non- democratic systemic rivals such as China;
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) the project would contribute to reducing European Union dependency on non-democratic systemic rivals;
Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) for projects in third countries that are emerging markets or developing economies, the project would be mutually beneficial for the Union and the third country concerned by adding value in that country, as also measured by the third country following pragmatic consultations.
Amendment 150 #
3. Where the Commission considers that information provided in the application is incomplete, it shall give the applicant the opportunfurther clarifications regarding the missing information and the possibility to submit the additional information required to complete the application in a timely manner.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 9
Article 6 – paragraph 9
9. Projects which are no longer recognised as Strategic Projects shall lose all rights connected to that status under this Regulation. The project promoter shall ensure that no sensitive or classified information about EU critical raw materials is made publicly available on the website beyond what is required for fulfilling the transparency obligations in this paragraph.
Amendment 165 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) expedited processing of bureaucratic requirements directly related to the granting of Strategic Project status and the implementation of the Project;
Amendment 168 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the permit-granting process and related bureaucratic processes required for obtaining the permit;
Amendment 169 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall draw up a national programme for general exploration targeted at critical raw materials. Each Member State shall draw up the first such programme by [OP please insert: 1 year after the date of entry into force of this Regulation]. The national programmes shall be reviewed and, if necessary, updated, at least every 53 years.
Amendment 175 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
The Commission, in collaboration with the national authorities participating in the standing sub-group referred to in Article 35(6), point (c), shall ensure that a stress test is performed for each strategic raw material’s supply chain at least every threewo years. To that end, the standing sub-group referred to in Article 35(6), point (c) shall coordinate and divide the implementation of stress tests for the different strategic raw materials by the different participating authorities.
Amendment 177 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) whether the raw meterials are controlled by non-democratic systemic rivals and the extent to which the Union is dependent on the given raw material;
Amendment 180 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 5 – point b a (new)
Article 24 – paragraph 5 – point b a (new)
(ba) directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf or at the direction of non-democratic countries designated as systemic rivals of the European Union controling more than 50% of the supply for the given strategic raw material.
Amendment 222 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point iv a (new)
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point iv a (new)
(iva) the potential to build new partnerships and create a mutualy beneficial cooperation with long-term geopolitical gains;
Amendment 223 #
1a. reducing strategic dependencies for critical raw materials on non- democratic systemic rivals of the Union;
Amendment 230 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 33 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) seek to reduce their bilateral strategic dependencies on non-democratic systemic rivals;
Amendment 235 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 35 – paragraph 6 a (new)
Article 35 – paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. a sub-group bringing together Member States representatives and representatives of EU strategic partners to coordinate and explore avenues for cooperation and coordination in achieving the strategic objectives of this Regulation, including by leveraging strategic coordination fora such as the EU-US Trade and Technology Council.