Mr. Aavo Kaine
Sihtasutus Eesti Teadusagentuur (ETAg)
Soola 8 Meie: 24.09.2020 nr 1-4/20-207
Tartu 51004
Proposal for Horizon Europe framework
Dear Aavo Kaine
I am writing in the hope of ensuring more fundamental geological research on primary raw
materials is represented in the new Horizon Europe framework.
Having read the current draft of the proposed work programs for Cluster 4 and Cluster 5, the
Geological Survey of Estonia is concerned that Horizon Europe is overlooking a potentially
critical area of research that is crucial as a foundation for the Green Deal and movement toward
a circular economy, namely a lack of support for research on exploration and discovery of
primary raw material resources within the EU.
Hereby please allow me to provide you a draft proposed topic for a research and innovation
action for addition to Cluster 4.
Yours sincerely,
(digitally signed)
Sirli Sipp Kulli
Director
Appendix - Horizon Europe missing component: Identifying primary sources of raw materials
Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi 5 / 44314 Rakvere /
[email protected] / www.egt.ee
Registrikood 77000387
Horizon Europe missing component: Identifying primary sources of raw
materials
Europe’s low-carbon future will be very mineral reliant. Secondary minerals delivered by
recycling and reuse cannot meet the demand for raw materials for clean energy technologies
and primary production of minerals will be essential in meeting climate goals according to
studies by the World Bank1 and EU2. If the EU is to meet its goal of a climate-neutral, circular
economy based on supply chains that are less dependent on third countries, it will need to
locate additional primary sources of minerals within its borders, particularly critical minerals
for strategic, energy, and climate-related uses.
The EU Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials) states that “the EU is between 75% and 100%
reliant on imports for most metals”3. Nevertheless, the European Commission considers that
there is significant potential for domestic mineral production, that the EU’s mineral potential
remains under explored, and that there is also a need to diversify sources of supply4. It should
be possible to reduce the EU’s economic and strategic vulnerability by locating,
characterising, and appropriately developing mineral deposits in Europe and in selected
partner countries.
Horizon Europe offers an opportunity to improve our understanding of Europe’s indigenous
mineral resources through research and innovation focused on mineral exploration. It also
provides an opportunity to work with mineral-rich countries, particularly those in Africa, to
strengthen the security of mineral supply chains for Europe. However, as currently proposed
Horizon Europe completely ignores this foundation of the circular economy – the initial input
of primary resources into the supply chain through mineral exploration and discovery.
Figure 1 shows the distribution of proposed Cluster 4 projects across the different
components of the circular economy. The current emphasis on technologies and
administrative processes should be augmented by topics on the upstream exploration
component of the supply chain because improved efficiencies in processing technology and
recycling alone cannot meet the expected increase in demand for raw materials.
A Research and Innovation Action to identify new sources of critical raw materials is essential
to address this urgent need. A draft topic for inclusion in the “Raw Materials for EU strategic
autonomy and successful transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy” section of
Cluster 4, Destination 2, is outlined below.
1
World Bank Group, 2020. Minerals for Climate Action: The Mineral Intensity of the Clean Energy Transition.
http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/961711588875536384/Minerals-for-Climate-Action-The-Mineral-Intensity-
of-the-Clean-Energy-Transition.pdf
2
European Commission, 2020. Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a path towards greater security and
sustainability. https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/42849
3
European Commission, 2020. Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a path towards greater security and
sustainability. P. 5. https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/42849
4
European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials, 2018. Raw materials scoreboard.
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/117c8d9b-e3d3-11e8-b690-01aa75ed71a1
1
Mining Processing
Resilience-11-2022: Developing digital platforms for Resilience-14-2022: Innovative solutions for efficient
the small-scale extractive industry (RIA) use and enhanced recovery of mineral sand metal
No topic on primary Resilience-13-2022: Sustainable and innovative mine
of the future (IA)
by-products from processing of raw materials (IA)
resources or
exploration to support
the entire circular
economy
Recycling
Resilience-04-2021: Identifying future availability of
secondary raw materials (RIA)
Resilience-05-2021: Developing climate-neutral circular
minerals and metals (IA)
Administration/Policy
Resilience-06-2021: Building EU-Africa partnerships on sustainable raw materials
and value chains (CSA)
Resilience-07-2021: Building primary raw materials intelligence and foresight
capability in the EU (RIA)
Business
Resilience-10-2022: Streamlining cross-sectoral policy framework throughout Resilience-08-2021: Building innovative value chains
extractive life-cycle in environmentally protected areas (CSA) from raw materials to sustainable products (IA)
Technologies
Resilience-09-2022: Monitoring and supervising system for exploration and future
exploitation activities in the deep sea (RIA)
Resilience-12-2022: Technological solutions for tracking raw material flows in
complex supply chains (RIA) Fig. 1. Distribution of proposed Raw
Resilience-15-2022: Earth observation technologies for the mining life cycle in
support of EU autonomy and transition to a climate-neutral economy (RIA) Materials topics across the circular economy
Proposed Research and Innovation Action for addition to Cluster 4, Destination 2
RESILIENCE-XXXX: Innovation for responsible European sourcing of primary raw materials,
the foundation of the Green Deal (RIA)
Expected Outcomes: Projects outcomes will enable achieving the expected impacts of the
destination by increasing access to primary raw materials, in particular critical raw materials
for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors. Integrated research and innovation will
also in part contribute to achieving the goals of Cluster 5, Destination 2, by providing the raw
materials for a clean and sustainable transition of the energy and transport sectors towards
climate neutrality facilitated by innovative cross-cutting solutions.
Projects are expected to:
Improve the knowledge base of European and third country resources of primary raw
materials;
Strengthen EU autonomy and ethical sourcing of raw materials by developing socially
and environmentally acceptable means of discovery and production of primary critical
raw materials;
Enable development of innovative technologies that can form the basis for new EU
SMEs;
Disseminate project outputs tailored for EU institutions, Member States and industry
dealing with raw materials.
The action is expected to contribute to the EU Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials Resilience
(COM/2020/474 final) goal to “strengthen the sustainable and responsible domestic sourcing
and processing of raw materials in the European Union” and to the plan’s action items 5
2
(identifying projects), 6 (developing expertise and skills), and 8 (reducing environmental
impacts).
Scope: Actions should develop new knowledge, conceptual models, and technologies to
strengthen and secure the EU’s supply of primary raw materials by generating:
Better geological understanding of known mineral deposits to identify critical minerals
resources and inform discovery of new resources.
New genetic models for ore deposit types that host critical minerals in order to identify
areas for exploration, especially in previously overlooked regions.
Innovative geological, geophysical, geochemical, and data analysis approaches to
elucidate the geological history and structure of targeted areas and to guide more
environmentally friendly exploration for critical minerals.
Better understanding of the social barriers to mineral exploration and potential
changes to policy to allow and promote socially acceptable mineral production.
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