The issue of critical raw materials is topical and gaining momentum. It also touches upon the question of strategic autonomy and there is a great need to continue the public discourse and civil society engagement on this subject to find concrete solutions to these acute challenges. Following the publication of the European Commission's Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has been carrying out extensive work on topics linked to mining and raw materials. An important event in this process has been the conference held on 31 January 2022 entitled "Critical raw materials: an essential building block for the future of Europe".
