EU, PH start study of critical minerals
The European Union (EU) and the Philippines have launched a joint study on critical raw materials as part of a partnership aimed at guiding future investments and sustainability standards in the local mining sector.
EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro said the study is being conducted with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as both sides explore how the bloc can support the development of the country’s critical minerals industry.
“At this stage, it is about studying critical raw materials together so that we can better identify how the EU can assist and cooperate with the Philippines,” Santoro told reporters on the sidelines of the EU-Asean Sustainability Summit in Cebu last week.
Santoro said the collaboration also covers how extraction activities can be carried out sustainably, including safeguards for indigenous communities that may be affected by mining operations.
This proposed partnership was first raised during the 2023 Manila visit of Ursula von der Leyen, when the European Commission expressed interest in working with the Philippines on projects involving critical raw materials.
At the time, the EU said cooperation could help strengthen the Philippines’ role in global mineral supply chains while promoting responsible mining practices and supporting communities surrounding extraction sites.
Santoro said the joint study remains ongoing, with no completion date set yet, given the technical nature of the discussions.
“It is a very specific terrain, so we wish to be sure that what we are studying together meets the same views of both sides,” he said.
This initiative forms part of the EU’s broader push to secure stable and sustainable access to critical raw materials as geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions expose vulnerabilities in strategic industries.
