Background
The project EU-Latin America Partnership on Raw Materials, funded by the European Union (EU), aims at promoting and intensifying cooperation between the EU and seven Latin American partner countries (i.e. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay) along the value chains of minerals-based industries. Based on complementarities, common objectives and shared values of the EU and Latin America, the Partnership aims at moving a step closer towards an integration of strategic industrial value chains for both regions, exploring new business models and adding value to society, while maintaining high environmental and social standards at the core of the Partnership.
The Partnership implements the digital Mineral Development Network Platform (MDNP), with over 1000 members from government entities, businesses, research institutions, and civil society across the Partnership countries. The MDNP allows members to connect and is a reliable source of information about the situation of non-energy extractive industries and the raw materials value chain of the partner countries.
To enhance exchange and learning, the Partnership offers a business-oriented webinar series that addresses some of the most pressing issues in the sector, participates in the region’s key mining fairs, and convenes high-level events such as the annual EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials.
2023 EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials
The 2023 edition of the EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials will take place in parallel with the International Argentine Trade Fair for the Mining Industry (Arminera) on 22 – 24 May 2023 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the overarching theme: Promoting EU – LATAM investments in sustainable raw materials value chains.
The Convention will bring together stakeholders along the whole raw materials value chain, from exploration and extraction to refining and recycling, as well as key downstream players decidedly contributing to the clean energy transition. It will include policymakers, industry, the private sector, and research and innovation actors from the EU and Latin America.
The Convention will promote and facilitate public-private dialogues on investment opportunities, policy design and implementation to achieve a sustainable integration of EU – LATAM raw materials value chains.
The Convention will hinge upon the sustainability values shared by the EU and Latin America, enhancing cooperation for the development of raw materials value chains for the clean energy transition and the industries that depend on them, such as e-mobility, renewable energies or digital technologies.
PROGRAMME
Download the agenda here.
| Day 1 | Monday 22 May 2023 |
| 9:00 - 9:20 | Registration, coffee and networking |
| 9:20 - 9:30 | Opening of the EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials |
| 9:30 - 10:20 | Policy developments related to investments in sustainable raw materials value chains (EU, Argentina, Brazil and Chile) |
| 10:20 - 11:10 | Policy developments related to investments in sustainable raw materials value chains (Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay) |
| 11:10 - 11:30 | Coffee and networking |
| 11:30 - 12:50 | Developing sustainable raw materials value chains between the EU – LATAM (part 1) |
| 12:50 - 14:00 | Closure of the day 1, lunch* and networking (*with previous invitation) |
| Day 2 | Tuesday 23 May 2023 |
| 9:00 - 9:20 | Registration, coffee and networking |
| 9:20 - 9:30 | Opening of Day 2 of the EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials |
| 9:30 - 10:00 | Investment promotion and opportunities along the value chain (Argentina, part 1) |
| 10:00 - 10:30 | Matchmaking session, coffee and networking |
| 10:30 - 12:00 | Supporting EU investments in sustainable raw materials value chains in LATAM |
| 12:00 - 14:00 | Closure of the day 2, lunch* and networking (*with previous invitation) |
| Day 3 | Wednesday 24 May 2023 |
| 9:00 - 9:20 | Registration, coffee and networking |
| 9:20 - 9:30 | Opening of Day 3 of the EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials |
| 9:30 - 10:00 | Investment promotion and opportunities along the value chain (Chile) |
| 10:00 - 10:30 | Matchmaking session, coffee and networking |
| 10:30 - 11:00 | Investment promotion and opportunities along the value chain (Peru) |
| 11:00 - 11:30 | Matchmaking session, coffee and networking |
| 11:30 - 12:40 | Developing sustainable raw materials value chains between the EU – LATAM (part 2) |
| 12:40 - 14:00 | Lunch* and networking (*with previous invitation) |
| 14:00 - 14:50 | Investment promotion and opportunities along the value chain (Argentina, part 2) |
| 14:50 - 15:50 | Mapping strategic and critical raw materials in LATAM and the Caribbean |
| 15:50 - 16:00 | Closing of the EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials |
MATCHMAKING
There will be a 20-minute matchmaking session between EU – LATAM stakeholders after the conclusion of each investment-related presentation. The matchmaking session will bring constituents with similar interests together and foster cooperation along the sustainable raw materials value chains. We will organise these bilateral networking opportunities before the event upon request by the interested parties.
If you are interested in participating in the matchmaking please register and fill out necessary information.
Registration is closed!
PRESS RELEASE
2023 EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials – 22-24 May 2023 – Buenos Aires, Argentina
The 2023 edition of the EU-Latin America Convention on Raw Materials occurred in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 22-24 May 2023. The event brought together stakeholders along the whole raw materials value chain, from exploration and extraction to refining and recycling, under the overarching theme: Promoting EU-LATAM investments in sustainable raw materials value chains.
The Secretary of Mining of Argentina, Maria Fernanda Ávila and the Ambassador of the EU in Argentina, Amador Sánchez Rico, opened the event.
Secretary Ávila highlighted the role of critical raw materials in developing low-carbon economies, the opportunities to transform Latin America’s rich mineral resources into sustainable development vectors, and the need to provide spaces to address vulnerabilities along the minerals value chains.
Ambassador Sánchez Rico pointed to the challenging global context of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the EU’s green and digital transitions, and the EU’s renewed interest in investing in Latin America transparently, sustainably and adding value to the entire value chain.
Other high-level participants included the Secretary of Energy of Argentina, Flavia Royón, the European Commission Director for International Partnerships with Latin America and the Caribbean, Félix Fernández-Shaw, and the European Commission Director in charge of Mobility and Energy-intensive Industries, Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, all of which highlighted the need to intensify EU-LATAM cooperation along the raw materials value chains and promote investments in the sector.
The event, organised by the EU-Latin America Partnership on Raw Materials project and funded by the EU, hosted more than 250 participants, including policymakers, industry, the private sector, and research and innovation actors from the EU and Latin America.
The three-day event started with a high-level political session with representatives from Latin American countries and the EU. Different panel sessions followed and addressed topics to foster and enhance collaboration along these economies’ raw materials value chains.
The EU-Latin America Partnership on Raw Materials project started in 2018 to promote and intensify cooperation between the EU and seven Latin American partner countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay) along the value chains of minerals-based industries. Based on complementarities, common objectives and shared values of the EU and Latin America, the Partnership aims to move a step closer towards integration of strategic industrial value chains for both regions, exploring new business models and adding value to society while maintaining high environmental and social standards at the core of the Partnership.
For more information, visit https://mineralplatform.eu/
The recording of the convention, along with all panel presentations, will be available soon via the online platform of the project: https://mineralplatform.eu/participate/previous-events