Activities of Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU related to 2021/2011(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A European strategy for critical raw materials (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on a European strategy for critical raw materials
Amendments (11)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the new EU Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials and stresses that EU t, the creation of the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA), and the emphasis on Critical Raw Materials (CRM) in the communication on the Trade pPolicy can play a key role as a vehicle for improving EU access to these materials; notes that the COVID-19 outbreak has expoReview (TPR); calls for an assertive trade policy emphasising the diversification and resilience of supply chains, and prioritising the improvement of global and EU mechanisms to create a favourable trade environment for European industry; stresses that EU trade policy plays a key role in improving EU access to all CRM, including base metals, industrial minerals, aggregates and biotic materials; notes that the disruption of worldwide supply chains caused by the lack of COVID-19 pandemic and the increasilience of global value chains for certain key products, showing the need for more robust and resilient supply chaing tensions between major powers has exposed strategic vulnerabilities for the EU, particularly in securing key resources necessary to deliver the Green Deal and to ensure the digital trans for critical raw materials; mation of the EU’s economy;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the publication of the Updated New Industrial Strategy1a and its call to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy and new partnerships with industry and like-minded international partners; welcomes the Commission’s ongoing work on critical supply chains highlighting that critical raw and processed materials are essential to ensure the success of the clean energy and digital transitions; __________________ 1a Updating the 2020 New Industrial Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery”, COM(2021) 350 final
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that demand for raw materials is projected to double by 2050 and that the EU is highly reliant on non- EU countriewith concern the International Energy Agency’s 2021 projection that the energy sector’s global needs for critical minerals could increase by as much as six times by 2040 from use in batteries, renewable energy technologies, and grid infrastructure1a and is convinced that the EU’s significant dependency on imports for CRM, including 100% import reliance for several specialty metals and rare earths, undermines its strategic autonomy and geopolitical objectives; stresses that, because the EU supply and investment plans for many critical raw materials, making diversified sourcing essential to increase the EU’s security of supply fall short of what is needed to meet internal demand and that CRM prices are globally set, the EU industry faces a high international competition in access to raw materials and is vulnerable to export restriction measures by third countries; calls, therefore, on the Commission to diversify the supply sources of critical raw materials as much as possible, and reduce current reliance on a few third countries; calls on the Commission to focus also on securing supplies by establishing strategic stocks and appropriate stockpiling of critical raw materials in Europe, particularly in light of the uncertainties linked to the evolution of the geopolitical situation worldwide and the potential trade tensions with rich non- EU producer countries; __________________ 1a https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of- critical-minerals-in-clean-energy- transitions
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to use bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to help secure a sustainable and diversified raw materials supply, while using stricter rules of origin and promoting sustainability standards worldwide; welcomes in that sense the ongoing dialogue with Canada and Chile aiming to strengthen trade relations in the area of CRM; underlines that future EU trade and partnership agreements can provide not only greater supply security but also a reliable political and economic framework and that they should include specific provisions on critical raw materials to promote cooperation and avoid export restrictions; emphasises the need for closer cooperation with key international suppliers especially Serbia, Ukraine, Australia, the US, Africa, Mercosur, and China;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Welcomes the Joint European Union - United States initiative on addressing global steel and aluminium excess capacity and calls for comprehensive and expeditious measures to hold to account countries like China that support trade-distorting policies; reminds the Commission, however, that for the time being the US Section 232 tariffs remain in full force and that this issue must urgently be resolved;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that future EU free trade agreements (FTAs) should include a specific focus on raw materials; cCalls on the Commission to further enhance the enforcement of FTAs to ensure that commitments and obligations on sourcing of critical raw materials are met by trading partners; calls on the Commission to strengthen cooperation on sustainable sourcing of raw materials with third countries under existing EU policies and instruments, including enlargement, neighbourhood, development and cooperation policies, and based on recognised international standards (e.g. OECD and UNGPs) and global industry initiatives on responsible sourcing; calls on the Commission to coherently align its actions on raw materials with other EU initiatives promoting sustainability in order to create a level playing field and to streamline the rule-book so that policies do not overburden industry;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3e. Requests that the Commission acts through the Waste Shipments Regulation review to prevent, through increased measures and a strengthened inspection system, the illegal and dubious exports of waste products containing critical raw materials to avoid improper treatment of electronics waste and batteries; calls for overall requirements that waste products containing critical raw materials are exported with a guarantee they will be treated under equivalent conditions to Europe in the destination country so that resources are not lost through informal recycling operations and which also supports the transition to the circular economy; considers that it is important to reinforce the availability of secondary raw materials, including ferrous scrap and rare earths, in order to improve the resilience and circularity of CRMs supplies;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)
Paragraph 3 f (new)
3f. Calls on rules of origin to be used in a stricter way to safeguard raw materials production and prevent circumvention from regions where operators are subject to less stringent sustainability and industrial subsidies requirements;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that a fully functioning rules-based multilateral trading system is also key to ensuring open trade flows of critical raw materials; renews its call on the Commission, in this regard, to pursue its efforts for the modernisation, strengthening and substantial reactivationtowards an ambitious reform of the World Trade Organization to fight distortions of international trade and unfair trade practices, and guarantee effective competition worldwide;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Highlights that the strong state- backed competition for access to raw materials in third countries hampers EU resilience and security of supply, therefore welcomes the Commission's plans to establish strong and supportive international partnerships by endorsing a global agenda on raw materials, aiming for EU partnerships that ensure both security of supply and developmental benefits;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Welcomes the Joint Statement of the Trilateral Meeting of the Trade Ministers of Japan, the United States and the European Union Commission, and supports the proposed definition of industrial subsidies; welcomes that such definition extends beyond the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and EU Anti- subsidy Regulation, and provides a broader definition of a subsidy; believes that such measures are crucial in levelling the international playing field in the area of CRM as industrial subsidies, particularly in China, pose a serious threat to EU industry and workers as it distorts international competition;