EU Commission wants to use development to securing raw...

EU Commission wants to use development to securing raw materials

Brussels / Berlin (epo.de). - The EU Commission wants to enshrine the supply of raw materials in future trade agreements and take into account in development policy. States that refuse to "unimpeded access to their raw materials," according to a Report of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) be sued in the World Trade Organization (WTO). For key raw materials supplier, the Commission adopted a "commodity-strike diplomacy."
More than half of the important raw materials for European industry would be in "unstable" countries, so the reasoning of the EU Commission. The commodity hedging strategy the EU aims to energy and metals, minerals, timber and chemicals. As the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, using a report by Dow Jones Business News Agency on Tuesday next, will today for the manufacture of computer chips requires approximately 60 commodities, while they were in the 80s were still twelve substances. For mobile phones would be more than 40 commodities, including lithium and cobalt, are required.

Many important resources are concentrated in only a few countries, the Commission, for example China, where 95 percent of the raw materials were produced for mobile phones and LCD screens. 90% of niobium, which originated in aircraft and pipeline construction is used, from Brazil. South Africa deliver 80% of rhodium, which is used for the production of catalysts.

"We must act in order to provide our industry with raw materials will not be hampered," said EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen. "We need fair play on external markets, a framework to foster sustainable use of European sources of raw materials as well as improved resource efficiency and recycling. We want to ensure that European industry can continue to play a leading role in developing new technologies and innovative products . I am with my colleague Cathy Ashton, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Louis Michel and Stavros Dimas, to closely cooperate in implementing this strategy. "

-> EU Commission

http://www.epo.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4336:eu-kommission-will-entwicklungspolitik-zur-rohstoffsicherung-einsetzen&catid=93&Itemid=163

Regards Bergler