Efficient Use of Critical Raw Materials for Optimal Resource Management in EU Countries

Abstract

The European Commission has established a Critical Raw Materials List (CRM) for the European Union (EU), which is subject to regular review and updating. CRMs are needed in many key industries such as automotive, steel, aerospace, renewable energy, etc. To address this issue, we studied publicly available data from databases developed by the EU for monitoring the progress of individual countries in key areas for the development of society. The paper analyzes indicators of import reliance, net additions to stock, domestic material consumption (DMC), resource productivity, and circular material use rate. Prospective products and technologies, in electromobility, digitalization, Industry 4.0, and energy transformation, are changing and increasing the demand for raw materials. The aim of this article is to look at the ways forward in order to use critical raw materials as efficiently as possible while at the same time ensuring the optimal economy of the countries. From the sources and databases of data available for the EU, we analyzed a number of variables and suggested options for future developments in the efficient use of critical raw materials. We defined what we believed to be the optimal management means in relation to critical raw materials and worked backwards to find a path to efficient use of critical raw materials.