Breakfast seminar: How to secure a sustainable supply of raw materials for the EU

The potential for critical raw materials in the Nordics and in the EU is great. Sweden is for many reasons one of the most influential mining countries in Europe with modern mines and potential to produce many of the raw materials needed for the green and digital transition and for the defence and space sectors.

Welcome to discuss the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the road ahead.

On 27 April, Svemin welcomes you to a breakfast seminar where we will talk about how the EU can improve its security of supply of raw materials, reflections on the CRM act from companies and industry organisations representing the green value chains, and how this legislation will be processed through the European Parliament and the Council.

Program

Breakfast from 8.00

Welcome
Emma Härdmark, Director Communications, at Svemin
Maria Sunér, CEO Svemin

Keynote
Sara Modig, State Secretary to the Swedish Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, Ebba Busch

European Critical Raw Materials Act – proposal for regulation
Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, Director for Mobility and energy intensive industries at the European Commission

Reflections from the Swedish Presidency on the CRM act  
Anna Strandbacke-Muhler, Councellor for Industry & Regional Policy at the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU

Panel | The Political Perspective
Jessica Polfjärd, MEP, EPP
Hildegard Bentele, MEP, EPP

Panel | The Green Transition Starts in the Mine
Mikael Staffas, CEO Boliden
Pia Lindström, Senior Vice President of Sustainability, LKAB
Niklas Wahlberg, VP System Solutions and Partnerships at Volvo Group
Kresten Ørnbjerg, VP, Head of Global Public Affairs, Vestas Wind Systems A/S

Panel | Reflections from the Business Sector and NGOs
Maria Sunér, CEO Svemin
Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director Vehicles and Emobility at Transport and Environment
Alexandre Affre, Deputy Director General at BusinessEurope
Rolf Kuby, Director General, Euromines
Malte Lohan, Director General of Orgalim

Questions from the audience 

Concluding remarks

Coffee and mingle

Practical information

What: Breakfast seminar

When: April 27

Time: 8:30 – 10:30 | Breakfast from 8.00 | Coffee mingle to 11.00

Where: Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU

Address: Square de Meeûs 30, 1000 Brussels

Registration: Registration for the breakfast seminar is now closed. Contact Svemin for possible late registrations.

Background

The European Commission has during the Swedish presidency of the EU presented a Critical Raw Materials act for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (CRMs). The demand for CRMs will increase exponentially in the coming years and CRMs are crucial for realizing the green and digital transition. Europe’s raw materials security supply has accentuated also from a security and geopolitical perspective given the Russian invasion on Ukraine and given the fact that only a few countries control the market for critical raw materials today.

The potential for CRMs in the Nordic region and in the EU is large, and probably even larger than we currently know due to the low level of exploration in the EU compared to major mining nations.

Sweden currently holds the EU Council Presidency for the first half of 2023. Sweden is for many reasons one of the most important mining countries in Europe with great raw material potential for managing the energy and mobility transition and securing the raw material supply for future technologies.