Raw Materials Initiative 2011 – Sustainable and Resource Efficient?

In response to an ever growing competition to access raw materials exacerbated by the participation of China, Brazil and India, the European Union (EU) presented a first version of “The raw materials initiative – meeting our critical needs for growth and jobs in Europe (RMI)” in 2008. Having been reviewed and republished in February 2011, the RMI pursues three priorities to secure the needed raw materials for Europe’s industry: (1) ensuring a level playing field in access to resources in third countries, (2) fostering sustainable supply from European sources and (3) encouraging resource efficiency and recycling.

The RMI mentions the Europe 2020 resource efficiency flagship initiative from the DG Environment, a vision of structural and technological changes towards a low carbon industry, a resource efficient and a climate resilient economy by 2050.

However, the promotion of mining in Europe and third countries remains important within the initiative, while concrete means on how mining can be substituted through recycling are not mentioned.

Does the RMI address the climate challenges and provide a basis for a resource efficient and responsible environmental policy? If not what is missing and what has to be done? From where will the EU get its critical raw materials? How do the EU 2020 initiative and the RMI relate with each other? And how could the RMI environmental and climate responsibility be monitored and measured?