The event was opened by its organizer, MEP Michał Kobosko, who stressed the importance of a common, long-term raw materials policy in the context of energy and digital transition. In their introductory speeches, Krzysztof Galos - Poland’s Chief Geologist and Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Climate and Environment of the Republic of Poland - presented the current status of work on the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act and changes in the Polish geological law, while Kerstin Jorna - Director General of the European Commission (DG GROW) - gave an overview of the strategic raw materials projects recently selected by the European Commission, stressing that the goal of all activities around the CRM Act is to produce sustainable, durable, and recyclable products based on local raw materials and those that have to be imported from partner third countries - all of which must be based on predictable supply chains.
The debate, entitled "How to secure the supply of raw materials to Europe?" was attended by representatives of the European Commission, industry associations, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego and Polish producers of critical raw materials, including JSW, which was represented by Adam Oleś, deputy director of the Development, Innovation and Computerization Office.
The director stressed that coking coal, which has been on the list of critical raw materials since 2014, continues to be a strategic link in the European steel value chain, providing a stable raw material base for local steel mills. He presented JSW's projects implementing the company's environmental strategy, pointing out the challenges involved and noting that there is a need for a consistent and predictable regulatory framework, which is particularly important for planning mining projects.
The event thus reaffirmed the need to ensure multi-level, integrated action at EU and national levels to ensure Europe's raw material independence, taking into account the development of local production based on innovation, skills development and cooperation with the financial sector, as well as strategic partnerships with external partners.
