Activities of Ioannis A. TSOUKALAS related to 2011/2056(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
An effective raw materials strategy for Europe (debate)
Amendments (15)
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Commission’s work on identifying critical raw materials (CRM); calls on the Commission to follow this up by analysing the supply chains depending on CRM, the refining capacity and the interaction between CRM and their associated base metalcurrent and future needs and prices, the refining capacity of European industries and the interaction between CRM and their associated base metals; calls on the Commission to analyse the negative effects of potential CRM, and especially REE, shortages in the renewable energy, high technology and defence sectors;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that, within the CRM, the criticality of different elements varies and hence their availability and prices are different;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to set up a long-term ‘European row materials 2050 roadmap’ that would identify potential future developments, threats and opportunities in the RM and CRM sectors and would help European industries, academic and research institutions engage in long term planning and investment;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the RM challenges are also an opportunity to invigorate the EU’s industrial base, technological capacity and know-how and increase competitiveness via an ambitious industrial research and innovation strategy; notes that in the medium to long term increasing efficiencies, recycling and lowering resource use will be key to competitiveness, sustainability and supply security; remarks that social innovation, lifestyle changes and new concepts such as eco-leasing, chemical leasing and sharing should be supported by the Commission;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes co-operation between national geological surveys and the publication of an annual European RM Yearbook (ERMY); stresses that data on secondary resources and urban mining should be included; asks the Commission to assess whether the creation of an EU Geological Service that pools the work of national surveys and works with international partners is necessary; stresses the need for stronger cooperation between national geological services and encourages the use of common standards and practices that would facilitate the exchange and exploitation of available geological data; supports the Commission'’s work in improving the EU'’s geological knowledge base; calls on the Commission to publish a digital resource map of the Union;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reaffirms that the NATURA 2000 guidelines provide a sound basis under which non-energy extraction activities must take place; notes that codes of practice to achieve technical, social and environmental excellence are important instruments; calls on the Commission to protect environmentallyassess the possibilities of environmentally sustainable exploitation of sensitive areas that might hold RM, such as the Arctic, Barents Sea and Greenland, with an emphasis on CRM such as REE;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes the importance of R&D in developing sustainable miningethods of mining, refining and ore production, in order to minimise the environmental footprint and adverse social effects;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the importance of skills and training and the role played by geologists and engineers; calls on the Commission to engage in a close dialogue with social partners in this context in order to ensure a future adequate supply of highly-skilled human capital for the European industry;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the EU'’s intention to pursue an RM diplomacy, particularly for CRM; believes that concrete priority actions and a comprehensive international strategy for sustainable domestic supply and European added value for REE need to be developed in the very short term;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Commission to assess the need of setting up a stockpiling mechanism for CRM, especially REE, which would guarantee European companies access to strategic materials used in green, high-tech, defence and health industries and protection against monopolist pressure and price rises;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the outcome of the WTO case against China and to make futurore actively pursue use of WTO mechanisms where appropriate in the future, in close collaboration with its international partners;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Regrets that the Communication fails to name other regions or countries; calls on the Commission to closely monitor international agreements made by resource-rich countries, especially those with totalitarian regimes, which entail exclusive access to resources and to use all possible diplomatic means to guarantee fair access to those resources and proper functioning of international trade laws; calls on the Commission to establish other mutually beneficial partnerships with resource-rich countries; believes that the EU should offer ‘infrastructure-resource’, “knowledge- resource” and “education-resource” partnerships; calls on the EU to support resource-rich developing countries in developing their geological knowledge; proposes in this context the establishment of co-operatively financed chairs at geological faculties;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Is concerned that a strategy for co- operation, or even competition, with China is not identified; stresses the need for a technology dialogue with China; calls on the Commission to examine how pilot projects on sustainable mining, substitution or recycling of CRM can be established with China; calls on the Commission to assess the environmental impact of RM, especially REE, including end-products that utilize them, which are imported from China;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Recalls that China has a successful long-term strategy on REE that combines a vertical organization of its REE industry with strong R&D and has already achieved a significant competitive advantage in refining REE ores and producing alloys and end-products, while the EU industry lacks both access to REE raw materials and the industrial and scientific know-how for processing them; furthermore, China has imposed export restrictions and shipment taxes on REE aggravating the supply issue for the EU; emphasizes, in this context, the need for the EU to identify and examine the possible exploitation of alternative (non- Chinese) sources of REE;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the work on RM and sustainability in the OECD, G8 and G20; supports the inclusion of non-OECD members in these discussions; calls for the creation of strategic co-operation between the EU, US and Japan on CRM in sharing demand and supply data, common forecasting, exchanging best practice, technological know-how and patents, analysing supply chains, investigating the possibility for joint strategic stocks, and the establishment of joint R&D projects; asks the Commission to investigate the feasibility of an international statistics initiative on CRM based on the example of the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI);