Maybe that's why MT was/is in Europe. It took place ~3h by car from Rudolstadt (12/13 September 2022
:
For you Australians: the presidency of the Council changes regularly from one EU country to the next. Now it's the Czech Republic's turn. They act on behalf of the entire EU.
And they certainly have the greatest interest in making good use of their time and setting the right course. They have many raw materials including lithium.
"Czech Presidency Conference “Raw Materials Security of Europe“
Fri, 2022-09-16 11:51
Czech Presidency Conference “Raw Materials Security of Europe“ was organized this week in
Prague. The aim of the official Presidency conference was to discuss with high-level representatives of EU member states, cooperating/neighbouring countries and potential member states (Norway, Serbia, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine) the future direction of European raw materials policy with the main focus on critical raw materials. The main goal was to moderate a discussion on how to strengthen the raw materials security and self-sufficiency of the EU, resp. the whole continent.
The first session was opened by the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade H.E. Mr Jozef Síkela who highlighted three main topics:
- The EU cannot strengthen its raw material security without close cooperation with neighbouring countries that still have, from the European perspective, solid mineral reserves.
- We call on the European Commission to consider an EU-wide system of strategic reserves of those mineral commodities on whose imports the EU is most dependent and for which a possible interruption in supply could lead to a direct threat to the continent's raw material security.
- We believe that the EU needs a new generation of geological exploration of its own territory. The continent's raw material security cannot be strengthened without sustainable domestic production of at least some of the raw materials the EU consumes.
Vice-President of the EC, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maroš Šefčovič, in his keynote speech, highlighted: "With raw materials becoming the world's most sought-after commodities due to their fundamental role across our economies and societies, we must throw all our weight into secure and sustainable access of raw materials.” And Mr Šefčovič concluded: “This huge of a task can only be achieved through a European response, joint efforts and cooperation, involving the Member States, industry, environmental groups, financial institutions, and other stakeholders".
Just ahead of the official launch of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, commissioner Thierry Breton stressed: "We must establish very quickly an EU-wide network to better understand our needs and risks and build better supply chains".
In her video message H.E. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition of France stressed: "We must recapture our mining power through better information about our resource endowment. We must invest in everything-extraction, refining, recycling and reuse and become the leaders in Responsible Mining if we don't do it others will do it for us."
The industry view was presented by the forthcoming president of Euromines Jan Moström, LKAB President and CEO. In his speech, Jan Moström highlighted “Domestic mining and production make Europe less dependent on imports, increase value-added and improve the sustainability of EU supply chains.”
Kye interventions were done by the Ukrainian minister H.E. Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources and Romanian Minister H.E. Florin Marian Spătaru, Minister of Economy.
The full c
onference programme is available here.
The final conference session was opened by Chris Heron, Communication & Public Affairs Director of Eurometaux presenting the recently published study "Metals for Clean Energy: Pathways to solving Europe’s raw materials challenge". The biggest part of the third session was dedicated to the contributions of the member states. In the end, the conference conclusions were officially presented.
Read the Conference conclusions here.
Conference Speaker – short biographies."
https://euromines.org/news/czech-presidency-conference-raw-materials-security-of-europe
I found it through Euromines. They co-moderated. Maybe you remember we are members of Euromines and they have just visited us on site.
https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/ressource-and-mining-technology.31383/post-96801
https://thestockexchange.com.au/threads/sweden-home-of-tlgs-graphite-mine-s.31382/post-94820
Look at the agenda.
https://euromines.org/files/cz_pres_conf_agenda_09_09_2022_final.pdf
We are very well represented there e.g. EIT. Also DG Grow has a member talked to MT and the Commission. Or LKAB was also talking. If I wanted to shake hands as a CEO I would do it there. Especially when you read the bold sentence below:
"Conclusions
Participants of the conference "Raw Materials Security of Europe", held within CZ PRES on
12 September 2022 agreed on the importance to highlight:
Minerals are vital to many industries even more so for the energy transition.
Europe is a significant consumer of mineral raw materials, but often, not a significant producer.
Member states encourage the extraction of minerals in their countries.
The EU must cooperate with close neighbours – such as the UK, Norway, the Western Balkan countries, North Africa, Island, Turkey and Ukraine – and diversify, both through stronger partnerships with like-minded partners and via its Global Gateway programme in developing regions.
We strengthen our raw material security quickly by creating an EU strategic stockpile system that will protect the continent from the risk of blackmail by some of Europe's strategic raw material suppliers.
We reduce import dependency in the medium term, through a new programme of modern geological exploration in Europe funded from European resources. In the next 15 years, we must secure new primary supplies for clean energy value chains.
Suitable EU financial support is allocated urgently to enable Projects of Common Interest.
Strategic metals and minerals need streamlined permitting procedures and access to finance.
Competitiveness and predictability are key to long-term sustainable raw material supply.
The guidance for permitting renewable energy projects introduces the concept of overriding public interest, which can be easily adapted to the concept of key strategic mining projects.
Heavy import dependency risks overexposure to single suppliers and inferior regulatory regimes. European states promote awareness that mineral resources are essential to everyone, especially among the younger generation and develop concomitant skills and education programmes.
The EU takes ambitious action to develop recycling capacity and overall Circular Economy ready for Europe's first generation of clean energy technologies reaching end-of-life from 2035.
In order to maintain the competitiveness of the mining industry within the EU and the industrial sector as such, it is necessary to urgently address the problem of high energy prices and limited energy availability."
https://euromines.org/files/cz_pres_conf_conclusions_09_09_2022_final.pdf
They have set their sights high. But never has it been more urgent. If I had been MT and had the opportunity to be there like the other CEOs I would have been there at that time.
Unfortunately, I can't see his distinctive bald head anywhere, not even on the guest chairs.
View attachment 16764
But who knows. The accompanying programme shows that there would have been many opportunities to talk and socialise. But maybe it's nonsense.
about time you end up here
where is that?
Makes just enough sense to be possible 
