The accelerating demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) driven by the twin green and digital transitions, alongside strategic sectors like defense and aerospace, has exposed Europe’s dependence on external supply sources. In response, the EU is seeking to diversify its CRM supply and invest in long-term, resilient partnerships with third countries. Africa stands out as a key partner in this context, not only due to its vast resource base but also because of its own industrialization aspirations as laid out in frameworks such as the Africa Mining Vision and the Africa Green Minerals Strategy.
Purpose and Goals
This session, organized by the AfricaMaVal project as it reaches its conclusion, will explore how EU-Africa relations around CRMs can evolve towards strategic cooperation. The discussion will be informed by the project’s insights into policy alignment, value chain integration, and shared development goals. A central focus will be on how to strengthen partnerships through coordinated investment, capacity building, knowledge transfer, and support for value chain development, while ensuring alignment with environmental, social and governance standards.
In light of growing geopolitical uncertainties and new trade tensions, the session will also consider how to balance strategic interests with fair, mutually beneficial cooperation. By addressing short-, medium-, and long-term avenues for collaboration, the session aims to identify pragmatic, high-impact actions that can set the foundation for a future-proof EU-Africa CRM cooperation.
Topics for Discussion
- How can EU and African CRM strategies be better aligned to promote shared value creation and development outcomes?
- What immediate investment opportunities exist in exploration, mining, beneficiation, and value chain development?
- What mechanisms can help foster geodata sharing, support artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and improve access to finance for African stakeholders?
- What governance or funding coordination mechanisms could streamline CRM investments and public-private collaboration across both continents?
Perspectives from the Field
This session brings together experts with deep experience in geology, development cooperation, and sustainable resource governance. Panelists will reflect on practical lessons from EU-Africa collaboration, exploring how technical expertise and capacity-building can support more equitable and resilient CRM value chains.
Panelists include:
Jean-Claude Guillaneau, PanAfGeo + Coordinator, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)
Philip Schütte, Economic Geologist, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)
Zenzi N Awases, President, Association of Women in Mining in Africa (AWIMA)
Moderetor:
W. Eberhard Falck, President, International Raw Materials Observatory (INTRAW)
