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Report

10 Jul 2023

Author:
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, European Environmental Bureau, Ecologistas en Acción, Broederlijk Delen, France Nature Environnement, Association négaWatt, World Economy, Ecology & Development, Rights and Accountability in Development, SÜDWIND e.V. – Institut für Ökonomie und Ökumene, INKOTA-netzwerk, Friends of the Earth France, PowerShift, CAN Europe, Seas At Risk, GLOBAL 2000 - Friends of the Earth Austria, SETEM, Amigos de la Tierra (Friends of the Eart Spain), Environmental Justice Foundation, RREUSE, Milieudefensie, Focus, društvo za sonaraven razvoj / Focus Association for Sustainable Development, CATAPA, Cultural Survival, Securing Indigenous Rights in the Green Economy coalition (SIRGE), Südwind, Austria, WWF Germany, ZERO - Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável, Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto Finska naturskyddsförbundet Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Resource Matters, ODG (Observatori del Deute en la Globalització), ECOS, Brot für die Welt, FairLötet e.V., DKA Austria, DiXi Group, Natural Resource Governance Institute, FERN, Friends of the Earth Europe, Global Witness, Society for Threatened Peoples, (BUND)Friends of the Earth Germany, CIDSE

EU Critical Raw Materials Act: 42 civil society organisations sign on common position for a Just Transition

"A Turning Point: The Critical Raw Material Act’s needs for a Social and Just Green Transition", 10 July 2023

The 21st century demands global efforts that provide solutions to multiple crises of social and environmental natures that also have negative impacts on economies...

  1. The EU should actively reduce its dependence on primary raw materials and implement demand-side solutions to decrease critical raw materials consumption by at least 10% by 2030...
  2. The CRMA should not rely solely on certification schemes, as certification alone does not guarantee compliance with mandatory human rights and environmental regulations; instead, a broader assessment of human rights and environmental performance should be conducted...
  3. The CRMA's focus on EU supply security through partnerships lacks a global justice approach... Our recommendations include aligning partnerships with international agreements, implementing robust monitoring and remediation mechanisms, defining "value addition," supporting domestic industrialisation, involving civil society and Indigenous Peoples, ensuring transparency, and avoiding the undermining of commitments through other regulations or trade agreements...
  4. The CRMA's focus on accelerating permitting procedures for Strategic Projects risks bypassing environmental and social safeguards and lacks public buy-in. Streamlined permitting must not come at the cost of environmental protection, meaningful public participation. Incorporating elements like Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and Indigenous rights must be at the center of strategic projects...
  5. For the success of the European Green Deal and the EU's strategic autonomy, it is crucial to prioritise a circular economy approach in the CRMA...
  6. The CRMA should include comprehensive rules for calculating and verifying the environmental footprint of critical raw materials...

Timeline