The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) welcomes the ITRE committee’s adoption of the Report on Critical Raw Materials, which reflects the recycling industry’s concerns and recommendations.

The adopted report addresses critical issues, such as the preservation of definition of large companies, ensuring transparency in assessing strategic raw materials and prioritising projects related to material recovery, extractive waste, integrated recycling and SME applications – aligning perfectly with EuRIC’s advocacy.

We are particularly pleased with the positive development regarding the recycled content of permanent magnets. The adopted report advances the date for laying down minimum recycled content targets, with the Parliament proposing that the Commission will have until 31 December 2030 to adopt delegated acts supplementing this Regulation by laying down minimum shares for the materials recovered from post-consumer waste. While EuRIC had called for the date to be advanced to 2025, the outcome is still a major development compared to the Commission’s proposal.

EuRIC is also highly satisfied with the report, particularly regarding the lists of strategic and critical raw materials which were not amended, thus preventing the inclusion of materials that do not meet the requirements needed (e.g., ferrous scrap, aluminium, nickel etc.). Finally, the report signifies a positive step toward promoting the use of secondary raw materials that can be used instead of or alongside primary critical raw materials, including materials originating from metal scraps and end-of-life products.

“Incorporating elements from both the Commission’s proposal and the majority of EuRIC’s input, the Parliament’s decision to promote the use of secondary critical raw materials and increased transparency is a positive step towards circularity. The adopted report is a resounding victory for recyclers, underscoring our industry’s substantial influence”, said Emmanuel Katrakis, Secretary General of the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC).

Note to editor:

For press-related enquiries, please contact Zoi Didili, EuRIC Communication Advisor, by email at zdidili@euric.org or by phone at +32 (0) 492 52 01 97.  The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) is the umbrella organisation for the recycling industries in Europe. Through its 75 members from 23 European countries, EuRIC represents more than 5,500 large companies and SMEs involved in the recycling and trade of various resource streams. They represent a contribution of 95 billion EUR to the EU economy and 300,000 green and local jobs. By turning waste into resources, recycling reintroduces valuable materials into value chains over and over again. By bridging circularity and climate neutrality, recyclers are pioneers in leading Europe’s industrial transition.