The PanAfGeo community is delighted to announce the official launch of the second phase of the PanAfGeo project, at an online meeting on 25th – 26th November 2021. PanAfGeo Phase 2 builds on the success of Phase 1, a training programme implementing the transfer of knowledge between European and African Geological Surveys and institutional strengthening of African national administrations in charge of geology and mining. The project will continue to serve as a reference of a continental scale partnership and development project in the field of geosciences. PanAfGeo-2 is implemented through a project consortium, coordinated by BRGM, the Geological Survey of France, including 11 European Geological Surveys and EuroGeoSurveys (EGS), together with the Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS) and national Geological Surveys of Africa. The project supports the training of geoscientific staff from African Geological Surveys through a diverse range of innovative training methods on a variety of geoscientific and governance related topics. The opening meeting, held online on 25th – 26th November 2021, included approximately 70 representatives from across Europe and Africa, representing some 50 African and European countries. Attendees included some of the main contributors to the project work packages, representatives of Geological Surveys in Europe and Africa, UNESCO, the African Union Commission, the European Union, and other stakeholders. The panel reiterated the need for ongoing strong partnership between the EU and the African national geological surveys, and were united in their praise for the community that has been created and the advances that have been made during Phase 1 of the project. The many successes of the project so far were highlighted, as well as the urgency required in tackling many of the issues that still remain in the continent, in particular the participation of women and children in the...

From 15th to 19th November 2021, key policy makers, industrial players, and a wide range of stakeholders engaged in discussions during the “Raw Materials Week” 2021 edition, hosted yearly by the European Commission. In this context, and as a partner of the H2020 project SCRREEN2, EuroGeoSurveys took part in the “4th EU Critical Raw Materials” event, organized in collaboration with DG GROW on 15th November. The event aimed at raising awareness about the necessity of critical raw materials, reducing dependencies on strategic raw materials with improvements in their circularity which should be reflected in a far more robust European Circular Economy agenda and the inclusion of sustainable raw materials into the Just Transition agenda. In the same week, SCRREEN 2 kicked off a communication campaign to disseminate key messages  and reach wider audiences and networks. For more insights about the events hosted, the activities and objectives behind, please read the following...

The EU funded SCRREEN2 project has recently launched a multilingual campaign aiming at raise awareness on raw materials. The “Raw Materials for Future” campaign will address the EU institutions, industries, professionals and the general public, and inform them about the benefits these materials possess and the key role they play for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 by the United Nations along with EU climate and energy policy objectives. The campaign will explore the variety of raw materials, with special regard to the critical ones, and explain how they will contribute to the SDGs and the green transition. It will be available in six languages and the main messages and graphics will be published in the SCRREEN website and on its social media channels ( LinkedIn SCRREEN, and Twitter accounts @SCRREEN_EU) using the #RawMaterials4Future tag. More information is available in the press release. The SCRREEN2 EU funded project SCRREEN2 is an EU-funded project that aims to support the European CRM strategy and bring expert advice to assist decision-making at the EU level covering all the raw materials and their value chains screened in the CRMs 2020 assessment. The project, launched on 1 November 2020 and coordinated by CEA, comprises 29 recognised key actors, including EIT RawMaterials, on the topics of primary and secondary CRMs as well as on the substitution of...

The final review meeting of the International Network of Raw Materials Training Centres (INTERMIN) Horizon 2020 Project took place virtually on 24th September 2021. The INTERMIN Consortium gathered online to meet up with their European Commission (EC) Project Officer and Reviewer for a final evaluation of the project work and results. The meeting marked the end of the fourty-two months long project, which was officially closed in August this year. In an open atmosphere, the different INTERMIN work package leaders presented work package progress, results, and proposals for future development of the topics, and discussed them with the EC representatives. Additionally, the sustainability plan of the INTERMIN Project and the INTERMIN Portal were deliberated during the meeting. Therefore, despite the official project end, the INTERMIN Portal will still be maintained and will remain accessible to everyone for free. The outcomes of the INTERMIN Project: The INTERMIN Project has developed a roadmap for enhancing education and the development of skills and knowledge in the raw materials sector. Through its Portal, INTERMIN has created an international qualifications framework for the raw materials education and training sector – the first of its kind worldwide – defining knowledge and skills levels for different courses on exploration, extraction, processing and recycling of raw materials. The project covers a global audience of approximately 550,000 professionals from 5 continents. As an added value, the project created two networks of post grade training and educational centers, a European one (GUIDE) and a global one (INTERMIN), both accessible online for free. Prof. Manuel Regueiro y González Barros, Coordinator of the INTERMIN Project, commented that “the INTERMIN portal allows users to perform easy searches of the more adequate training through the widely available study programs”. More key findings of the project are available in...

EuroGeoSurveys is pleased to announce the start of Dr. Julie Hollis’ mandate as Secretary General today. In this role, Julie takes over the day-to-day operational management and administration of EGS and its Secretariat, increasing contact and collaboration with the European Union Institutions and agencies, particularly the European Commission, and representing the best interests of the EGS Members, the national Geological Surveys of Europe. Upon her arrival at the EGS Secretariat, Julie held an introduction speech and concluded: “I am very happy to be in person in the Brussels office and I look forward to diving into the business of EGS”. Julie is passionate about both geology and about communicating science. For the past twenty years, she has worked in leading roles in government geoscience in Greenland, Denmark and Australia, managing geological mapping and regional geoscience programs to promote mineral exploration investment. She has a PhD in Geology and a Masters in Science Communication and Public Engagement from the University of...

Mineral exploration plays a key role in ensuring a secure raw materials supply in the EU and Latin American countries. However, exploration must be aligned to local conditions and international trends in order to be more sustainable in the long-term period. For this reason, it is crucial to foster innovative solutions and practices improving and securing access to raw materials, in line with social and environmental standards. In this context, the EU-Latin America Partnership on Raw Materials (MDNP 2) project is hosting a free business-oriented webinar series showcasing examples and good practices of innovation from the field of mineral exploration, as a prerequisite for the integration of sustainable raw material value chains between the EU and Latin America. During the webinars, EU and Latin American experts will share their analysis and best practices, as key items for boosting responsible and sustainable non-energy extractive industries in both regions. The webinars will address MDNP members and stakeholders who wnat to gain insights on the progresses of both regions in driving responsible mining and building sustainable and resilient mineral raw materials value chains. All webinars will be translated simultaneously and offer English, Spanish and Portuguese audio channels. In order to get more information on the webinars, please check the dedicated...

PanAfGeo, an EU co-funded initiative that began in 2016, contributed to the transfer of knowledge between European and African Geological Surveys. PanAfGeo also ensured the institutional strengthening of many African national administrations in charge of geology and mining. Starting from the project’s past achievements, the phase two of the project will build on a consortium of 11 European Geological Surveys, including the the umbrella organization of the Geological Surveys of Europe, EuroGeoSurveys, and will be lead by BRGM, the Geological Survey of France. PanAfGeo-2 will aim at developing a set of knowledge and best practices exchange programmes for African geoscientists to acquire the state-of-the-art tools and learn new methods and skills in several geoscientific competences: Geoscientific MappingMineral Resources AssessmentArtisanal & Small-Scale MiningGeoheritage & Geothermal energyGeohazards & Environmental Management of MinesGeoresources Governance & OAGS/GSOs Institutional StrengtheningGeoscientific Information ManagementCommunication, Dissemination & Dialogue. For more insights about the PanAfGeo-2, view and read the press release in the project...

Last week, the EC circulated a new set of proposals delivering the 2030 climate change targets. Each of the proposed legislative tools and actions is leading up to a stronger EU climate policy framework, making the EU Green Deal a reality. The adopted package of legislative tools will apply to new and existing sectors: The ETS (Emission Trading System), which has been cutting emissions by 42.8% for the last 16 years, will be advanced to lower further down the emissions cap level while;More actions will be undertaken on the Effort Sharing Regulation, assigning different emission target reduction for EU Member States for buildings, road and domestic maritime transport, agriculture, waste and small industries;Member States will need to take further action for removing carbon from the atmosphere as presented in the Regulation on Land Use, Forestry and Agriculture;An update is proposed on the Renewable Energy Directive establishing a higher target (40%) for the energy produced from renewable sources;A higher binding target for reducing energy consumption at EU level will be provided by a new Energy Efficiency Directive;In order to achieve zero-emissions in the transport sector, a revised Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation will require Member States to expand charging capacity in line with zero-emission car sales, while the ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative will oblige fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of sustainable aviation fuels in jet fuel taken on-board at EU airports;Last but not least, a new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will put a carbon price on imports of a targeted selection of products to ensure that ambitious climate action in Europe does not lead to ‘carbon leakage’ for eventually contributing to a global emission reduction process. In order to get further information on the adopted package of legislative tools, check the European Commission press release and...

The European Commission has adopted the main work programme of Horizon Europe for the period 2021-2022. The programme outlines the objectives and topic areas that will receive a share of €14.7 billion in funding. The investment is intended to accelerate the green and digital transitions as well as contributing to a sustainable recovery from the pandemic. The first Horizon Europe calls will support and complement initiatives and programmes including the European Green Deal, the European Research Area, Europe’s Digital Decade and NextGenerationEU.  The first calls from the programme will launch on 22 June 2021 and more details about the calls will be shared during the EU R&I Days. Along with the approach approved by the Commission in the field of international cooperation in research and innovation, the programme includes targeted actions aiming at strengthening cooperation through multilateral initiatives, also including non-EU partners as for the Africa initiative. Learn more and find the work programme online or download the press release in the pdf....

The EU-Latin America Partnership on Raw Materials project is hosting a yearly webinar series addressing a diverse range of topics which are key to fostering responsible and sustainable non-energy extractive industries in Europe and Latin American regions. The upcoming online webinar EU-Latin America responsible battery value chains on 17 June (16:00 – 17:30h CEST) is a business-oriented event that seeks to showcase best practice examples of responsible battery raw materials value chain integration led by EU and Latin America stakeholders. A secure and responsible supply of battery raw materials is a vital prerequisite for electric mobility and renewable energy, and therefore it plays a key role in achieving a climate-neutral economy. The EU seeks to diversify its sources of battery raw materials and integrate its value chains with Latin American countries. In this context, responsible production and sourcing of these raw materials are paramount. The webinar will bring together experts from the EU and Latin America to share their analyses and best practices on responsible battery raw materials value chain integration. Thus, MDNP members (https://www.mineralplatform.eu/) will gain insights into the work being done in both regions on driving responsible mining and building sustainable and resilient mineral raw materials value chains. Webinar registrations will close on Monday, 14 June at 17:00 CEST. Remember that you must be logged in as MDNP member to register for this webinar. If you are not an MDNP member yet, submit your membership application as early as possible.*The eligibility criteria to become a member of the MDNP is to be legally based in an 27 EU Member State or in one of the following Latin American countries Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and to beactive in the fields relevant for the non-energy extractive industry sector. Governmental entities from other Latin American countries are also eligible as members of the MDNP. All...