Answer for question E-002980/24

EN E-002980/2024 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission (21.3.2025) 1. Yes, the Commission has been made aware of this. The EU policy on critical raw materials1 aims to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials while not weakening the environmental and social rules. Projects should be planned and implemented covering all aspects of sustainability highlighted in the publication ‘EU principles for sustainable raw materials’2. The environmental effects of projects covering mining activities have to be duly assessed in accordance with EU requirements as the Habitats Directive3 or the Water Framework Directive4. In view of the Commission's powers as guardian of the Treaties, it will make every effort to ensure that the environmental and social standards set are respected. 2. The supply of primary antimony is heavily concentrated in a few countries. Therefore, recycling plays a crucial role to ensure secure and sustainable supply of antimony. Secondary antimony is mainly recovered from lead-acid batteries and to a lesser extent from polymers5. The Commission aims to increase such recycling efforts by setting the right legal framework in the critical raw materials, waste and product legislation but also by funding several projects to develop innovative antimony recovery processes6. According to the Extractive Waste Directive7, operators of extractive waste facilities draw up a waste management plan, which have the objective to...