Ukraine - EU Strategic Partnership on Raw Materials

The strategic partnership with Ukraine will include activities along the entire value chain of both primary and secondary critical raw materials and batteries, and in line with the objectives of the EU's Critical Raw Materials Action Plan, it will help diversify, strengthen and secure both sides' supply of critical raw materials, essential for achieving the green and digital transitions. The partnership will also be decisive in preserving global competitiveness and developing resilience of EU and Ukrainian industry.
The Memorandum of Understanding defines three key areas of work for the partnership:

1. The approximation of policy and regulatory mining frameworks, and notably the environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria across all activities;
2. The engagement of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine in the European Raw Materials Alliance and European Batteries Alliance with the aim of developing Ukrainian mineral resources and integrating them into global value chains in a socially responsible and sustainable way;
3. Collaboration in research and innovation along both raw materials and battery value chains through Horizon Europe.

The MoU was accompanied by an initial Roadmap containing planned activities for the first year of the Partnership (2021 - 2022):

• Development of a low carbon strategy and roadmap to decarbonise raw material mining, extraction and processing in Ukraine,
• Strengthening of sustainable and responsible sourcing and processing of raw materials and batteries in Ukraine by organising capacity building events for public administration and trainings for companies,
• Creation of a ‘data room' – a repository with digital geological reports, and declassifying and re-assessing raw materials reserves using international standards,
• Enhancement of the use of earth-observation programmes and remote sensing to strengthen new resource exploration and monitor environmental performance of mines during operations and post-closure,
• Identification and implementation of joint-venture projects for EU and Ukrainian industrial and investment actors through the Business Investment Platforms of the European industrial alliances.

The MoU and Roadmap mobilise financial and investment instruments from the European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support these actions. 

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