Activities of Pilar del CASTILLO VERA related to 2023/0079(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (debate)
Amendments (11)
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) However, given the economic and social importance of other raw materials, not considered in this Regulation as critical or strategic, in particular aggregates, ornamental rocks, gypsum, industrial minerals and metallic minerals, some of its Articles should be applied to all mining subsectors. They also face the problem of lengthy administrative procedures and can be considered essential or enabling minerals for many products and industrial sectors that will have a key role in the transition to a “net- zero” economy.
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) To strengthen Union capacities along the strategic raw materials value chain, benchmarks should be set to guide efforts and track progress. The aim should be to increase capacities for each strategic raw material at each stage of the value chain, while aiming to achieve overall capacity benchmarks for extraction, processing and recycling of strategic raw materials. Firstly, the Union should increase the use of its own geological resources of strategic raw materials and build up capacity to allow it to extract the materials needed to produce at least 10 % of the Union's consumption of strategic raw materials. Keeping in mind that extraction capacity is highly dependent on the availability of Union geological resources, the achievement of this benchmark is dependent on such availability and consequently mineral exploration for the discovery of mineral resources should be promoted. Secondly, in order to build a full value chain and prevent any bottlenecks at intermediate stages, the Union should in addition increase its processing capacity along the value chain and be able to produce at least 40 % of its annual consumption of strategic raw materials. Thirdly, it is expected that in the coming decades a growing share of the Union's consumption of strategic raw materials can be covered by secondary raw materials, which would improve both the security and the sustainability of the Union’s raw materials supply. Therefore, Union recycling capacity should be able to produce at least 15 % of the Union’s annual consumption of strategic raw materials. These benchmarks refer to the 2030 time horizon, in alignment with the Union's climate and energy targets set under Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council29and the digital targets under the Digital Decade30, which they underpin. Furthermore, quality jobs, including skills development and job-to-job transitions, will address risks in the sectoral labour market and help ensure the EU’s competitiveness. _________________ 29 Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (OJ L 243, 9.7.2021, p. 1). 30 Decision (EU) 2022/2481 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 establishing the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 (OJL 323, 19.12.2022, p. 4–26 )
Amendment 238 #
(32) The existing knowledge and mapping of the Union’s raw materials occurrences were developed at a time when ensuring the supply of critical raw materials for the development of strategic technologies was not a priority. To acquire and update information on the critical raw material occurrences, Member States should draw up national programmes for the general exploration of critical raw materials, which should include measure such as mineral mapping, geochemical campaigns, geoscientific surveys as well as the reprocessing of existing geoscientific datasets. The identification of mineral occurrences and the assessment of the technical and economic viability to extract them involves high financial. To lower that risk and facilitate the development of extraction projects, Member States should make publicly available the information acquired during their respective national exploration programme, where appropriate using the framework of the Infrastructure for Spatial Information established by Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and the Council43. Accordingly Member States should compare mineral exploration to research and development in other areas and should apply faster permitting processes that apply to mineral production. Likewise Member States should put in place financing mechanisms to support exploration programs similar to those supporting research and development in other industries. _________________ 43 Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) (OJ L 108, 25.4.2007, p. 1-14).
Amendment 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32 a (new)
Recital 32 a (new)
Amendment 510 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) a classification of the project according to the United Nations Framework Classification for ResourcesPan-European Reserves and Resources Code (PERC), supported by appropriate evidence;
Amendment 559 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Member States shall adopt national measures to address the possible incompatibility between a Strategic Project and pre-existing extractive or processing activities. These measures will be aimed at ensuring that the Strategic Project can be implemented, to the extent possible, without stopping the pre-existing extractive or processing activity. The national measures shall include an analysis on a case-by-case basis that takes into account the reserves, the strategic or critical importance of the raw materials and other relevant economic and social factors. The analysis and declaration of compatibility or incompatibility shall not exceed 6 months. The national measures shall also include adequate compensations for the owners of the pre-existing extractive or processing activities, where an incompatibility of projects is declared.
Amendment 582 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 5
Article 8 – paragraph 5
5. The national competent authority referred to in paragraph 1 shall take into consideration any valid studies conducted and permits or authorisations issued for a given critical raw material project before the project entered the permit granting process in accordance with this Article, and shall not require duplicate studies and permits or authorisations, unless otherwise required under Union law.
Amendment 585 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 6
Article 8 – paragraph 6
6. The national competent authority referred to in paragraph 1 shall ensure that applicants have easy access to information on and simple procedures for the settlement of disputes concerning the permit granting process and the issuance of permits for critical raw materials projects, including, where applicable, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The Board shall share and discuss best practices, including from other relevant mining regions, to ensure structured and predictable formats.
Amendment 601 #
2a. For projects of other raw materials, the permit granting process shall not exceed: (a) 36 months for raw materials involving extraction; (b) 18 months for raw materials only involving processing or recycling.
Amendment 607 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. For Strategic Pprojects only involving processing or recycling, the lack of comprehensive decision by the national competent authority referred to in Article 8(1) within the applicable time limits referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, 2a shall result in the relevant permit granting application to be considered as approved, except in those cases where the principle of administrative tacit approval does not exist in the national legal system or the specific project requires an environmental impact assessment pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC or Directives 2000/60/EC, 2008/98/EC, 2009/147/EC 2010/75/EU, 2011/92/EU or 2012/18/EU or a determination of whether such environmental impact assessment is necessary and the relevant assessments have not yet been carried out.
Amendment 1083 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – Section 1 – paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
Annex II – Section 1 – paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
(sa) Magnesite