Opening the meeting, Jarosław Kluczniok, Vice-President of the JSW SA Management Board for Development, who also serves as chairman of the CRM Alliance, stressed that the challenges facing the entire industry and the declining competitiveness of European industry must be addressed by European institutions:
“Critical raw materials, such as coking coal, lithium and graphite, are essential for the transition of European industry and the achievement of EU climate goals. In contrast, EU regulations often do not follow the demands made by the sector, do not provide adequate support for companies, and do not provide adequate protection for our market from cheaper competition from third countries. European industry is struggling with high energy prices and an influx of cheaper products from third countries, the best example of which is the continuing crisis in the steel industry. It is high time for EU policymakers to take urgent action to protect the European market and ensure a level playing field for European industry.
Borys Budka, Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, addressed these demands with full understanding, stressing that European industry does not need further regulation, but the development of a stable and predictable environment that will ensure the restoration of the competitiveness of European companies.
The meeting also included a presentation of the latest report by consulting firm McKinsey on the raw materials market, "Global Materials Perspective 2024." A representative from the company's Swiss office pointed to the growing demand for raw materials and metals over the next decade and the strong concentration of production and processing of certain critical raw materials in high-risk countries. Therefore, the role of EU institutions, which should respond appropriately to the difficult situation in the European raw materials market, is particularly important here.
