Raw materials
Raw materials are the backbone of European industry. Securing the supply of high-quality raw materials at competitive prices for the EU industry is a priority for BusinessEurope. As strong supporters of the European Commission raw materials initiative, European companies are increasingly committed to ensuring that production and sourcing are done in a sustainable manner. However a balance has to be struck between promoting sustainable supply chains, existing business models and company competitiveness. We need to prevent undue bureaucracy and reporting, avoiding duplication for instance by aligning verification systems.
The competitiveness edge and business model of European companies is based on high innovation, differentiation and creativity as well as on high standards of protection for workers, consumers and the environment. Therefore, voluntary approaches to achieve the objective of sourcing in a more responsible manner have the advantage of being more flexible and adjustable to different supply chain structures and business models. At the same time they have higher success rates as they are more inclusive, thereby furthering engagement from companies of all sizes.
Publications
| Position papers | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| The Critical Raw Materials Act - Comments and proposals for amendments | 22/05/2023 | |
| The upcoming European Critical Raw Materials Act - BusinessEurope comments | 23/12/2022 |
