Monitoring of secondary raw materials (CSA)

Expected Outcome

• Enhanced knowledge base of secondary raw materials in the EU and third countries, including their potential, resource estimation, production, refining processes and biodiversity footprint;
• Accelerated development of projects leading to commercial exploitation of secondary raw materials in the EU;
• Developed reports analysing future trends in raw materials markets.
• Identified supply and demand bottlenecks of future secondary raw materials supply;
• Improved EU raw materials intelligence, strategic planning and foresight capacity.

Scope

A successful transition to a climate-neutral, biodiversity friendly, circular and digitised EU economy relies heavily on a secure supply of raw materials. In order to strengthen EU autonomy and reduce over-dependency, we must boost domestic sourcing, both for primary and secondary raw materials.

Actions should be based on a common understanding of relevant terms and codes, and develop an understanding of anthropogenic resources and derive the needed aspects for classification of recovery projects and to develop criteria for a transparent, consistent and objective classification, needed to establish a comprehensive resource classification approach.

Projects should also include the biodiversity footprint of primary and secondary raw materials in the expected reports and foresights, using natural capital accounting frameworks.

Actions should acquire new data on secondary raw materials via in situ sampling from different regions across the EU, collect existing data and present in a harmonised UNFC format. The monitoring should focus on countries where the waste goes into European recycling industrial ecosystems. However, the monitoring must cover the statistics of wastes exported from Europe as well as waste flows between Member States. The action could build on and advance further the work of UNECE - UNFC expert group on Anthropogenic resources regarding the classification of secondary raw materials and the work of Horizon Europe project FUTURAM regarding collection of data and information on secondary raw materials. Projects could build on the knowledge and models from projects funded under HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-15, as well as the UN WCMC natural capital accounting frameworks.[1] The action should develop a proposal for EU statistics for secondary raw materials.

The action should focus on the following streams of secondary raw materials, with particular attention to critical raw materials: waste batteries, WEEE, mining waste, slags and ashes, and construction and demolition waste. The action should also anticipate the evolution of WEEE directive.

All the data and information generated through these actions should be shared in open formats on a free of charge basis with the European Commission, for its own use and for publication.

The action should envisage clustering activities with other relevant selected projects for cross-projects co-operation, consultations and joint activities on cross-cutting issues and share of results as well as participating in joint meetings and communication events. To this end proposals should foresee a dedicated work package and/or task, and earmark the appropriate resources accordingly.

International cooperation is encouraged with countries with which the EU has signed Strategic Partnerships on raw materials, especially with Ukraine.[2]

[1] https://www.unep-wcmc.org/en/natural-capital

[2] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/raw-materials-diplomacy_en