The European Union has identified security of supply, improvement in environmental management and resource efficiency as key challenges for the raw materials sector. Data regarding the location and spatial distribution of primary and secondary raw materials, with respect to exploration, exploitation, production and trade activities, underpin decision making in government and industry. Given the dynamic character of such data, regular updates of comprehensive, reliable and harmonized information across borders are required.

The overall aim of this proposal is to improve the European Knowledge Base on raw materials by updating the electronic Minerals Yearbook produced in the Minerals4EU project and to extend the spatial coverage and quality of data currently in the Minerals Inventory. The project will, furthermore, aim to increase the degree of harmonization, communication and interaction between existing data platforms, with the ambition of reaching a fully operational and reliable data knowledge management system, fulfilling the European needs and taking into account the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS) of the European Union. Importantly, the project will also – in collaboration with the GeoERA Information Platform project – integrate the electronic Minerals Yearbook into the Minerals4EU database, ensuring future sustainability as part of the EuroGeoSurveys-governed European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI).

All results will be integrated in the EGDI that will, by end of the project, disseminate European raw materials intelligence in a uniform way to end users through a common web portal interface. Finally, the applicability of the UNFC classification system for obtaining more accurate Pan-European mineral inventories will be tested.

See a folder about the project here.