TOWARDS A EUROPEAN VISION FOR MINERAL DEPOSITS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE (MDOPI) IN EUROPE

Challenge the practice is addressing: The document presents improvements to the current means of strategic management of mineral raw materials across EU member states. It suggests improvements to existing policy commitments and approaches, and recommends the European Commission to encourage member states to implement the Mineral Deposits of Public Importance (MDoPI) framework and enable MDoPI to contribute to the sustainable development goals.

Concrete practice to achieve the expected goal: The report suggests a coordinated strategy towards a MDoPI-framework for Europe. At a state level, EU member states are encouraged to adopt a multi-criteria approach to identification and assessment of geological and biophysical characteristics of MDoPI. This approach should be in line with a common EU approach (MDoPI vision). The measures suggested to create a common EU MDoPI framework: 1) Adaptation of best practice elements of national law and policy, 2) Coordination of data and statistics relating to subsurface resources, 3) Prescription of certain modalities of minerals development 4) Economic incentives for innovative sustainable development of MDoPI. These measures are intended to form the ‘building blocks’ of a coordinated strategy towards a MDoPI framework for Europe (Joint Vision). The following approaches should be integrated into national/regulatory frameworks: 1) Minerals policy, 2) Mineral resource inventories, 3) Mineral potential assessment 4) Integration of mineral deposits/minerals policies into land-use planning policies. 5) Conflict management through stakeholder consultations and involvement of relevant organisations, 6) Mineral Economics and 7) Development of an appropriate safeguarding mechanism. Furthermore, it is suggested that the European Commission evaluates the possibility of issuing a Communication on the MDoPI Safeguarding under the rationale that a high-level declaration on the importance of minerals deposits of public importance and their safeguarding is essential for the EU to achieve its public policy objectives and commitments, e.g. the SDGs, EU Growth Strategy 2020, etc.

Expected impact/goal of the practice: The vision is that once a common framework is established and all EU member states have identified MDoPIs, a digital network of all EU based MDoPI could be created. The European Commission could then maintain this digital network with national contact points

Who is the target user group of the practice/intervention or implementing the practice/intervention? Policy makers on regional, national and EU-level.