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FTA Chile, EU and sustainable fair trade
The modernized FTA between the EU and Chile rules the trade of raw materials (like lithium for batteries) and hydrocarbons by Promoting dialogue and cooperation in the energy and raw material sectors; fostering sustainable and fair trade and investments; ensuring a level playing-field in those sectors, and to strengthen competitiveness of related value chains including value addition. The parties (EU and Chili): are committed to grant the access to infrastructure for producers of electricity generated from renewable energy sources; agree to cooperate on any relevant issue of mutual interest, such as: a) renewable energy particularly with regards to technologies, integration into and access to the electricity system, storage and flexibility,…
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The customs aspects of the batteries/waste of batteries regulation
The new regulation (batteries and waste of batteries) should be a good basis for the a new approach to customs; the key stones are: circular economy, trade compliance and sustainable development against environment destruction, deforestaion, climate crisis and pollution. Indeed, from a customs/customs compliance perspective, it is interesting to take into account that the protocol of origin of the free trade agreements (FTA) inked by the European Union usually lays down rules of origin which classify the waste/scramps (generated in the EU) as “originating material” of the European Union. Futhermore, the obligation to develop a reliable system of recycling of some materials contained by the batteries (cobaltum, lithium, nickel )…
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EU critical raw materials assessed for 2023
The ecological transition and its customs impacts are affected by the results of the Study on the Critical Raw Materials for the EU 2023- Final Report. This report lists the minerals to be considered as “critical”: Industrial and construction materials: aggregates, baryte, bentonite, borates, diatomite, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, kaolin clay, limestone, magnesite, natural graphite, perlite, phosphate rock, phosphorus, potash, silica sand, sulphur, talc; Iron and ferro-alloy materials: chromium, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, tantalum,titanium, titanium metal, tungsten, vanadium; Precious metals: gold, silver, and Platinum Group Metals (iridium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium); Rare earths: heavy rare earths – HREE (dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lutetium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, yttrium); light rare…
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EU critical raw materials act: the next steps of the EU green transition
The critical raw materials act announced on 16.03.2023 by the EU Commission is a comprehensive set of actions to ensure the EU’s access to a secure, diversified, affordable and sustainable supply of critical raw materials. The need of the EU is to mitigate the risks for supply chains related to such strategic dependencies to enhance its economic resilience; indeed, this can put at risk the EU’s efforts to meet its climate and digital objectives. This act: lists the critical raw materials( based on the final report “ Study on the Critical Raw Materials for the EU 2023”) and set up the following objectives: diversify the EU supply at least 10%…