20/06/2014 - Raw Materials High Level Conference (Athens)

This Conference has been included in the program of the Hellenic Presidency of the European Union of the EU council. This is a very timely Initiative that comes at a moment in which the access to raw materials, guaranteed and undistorted, has become an increasingly important factor for EU industry competitiveness.

The Greek Presidency, having established as its priority the fight against the current economic crisis and the search for a new, coordinated, EU industrial policy, gladly endorses this Conference. Our aim will be that we together go forward in the implementation of this Initiative.

One of the basic pillars of this Initiative is to ensure the sustainable production of raw material, coming from European ore deposits. Access to the land-sites for the mining industries in an adequate legal, environmental and economic framework needs a common effort in the streamlining of administrative conditions and the benchmarking of better practices to guarantee a sustainable economic development.

New EU policy initiatives deserve our participation and support. We must be part of shaping their outcomes. Innovation, research and resource efficiency are themes at the core of what we do. We are long-term investors, creating jobs and skills and paying taxes, often in the regions of Europe that need them most. The conference will provide a platform to discuss these issues with all relevant partners.

Europe is rich in natural resources. Our future is one where technological advances lead our industry, where regulation compliments growth and is born from a hard-won consensus for a better future.

The conference aims to discuss these issues and share the views of the European Commission, Member States, industry CEOs and other stakeholders.

Further information:
http://ec.europa.eu