The European Federation of Geologists (EFG) has submitted its response to the European Commission’s call for feedback on the upcoming Circular Economy Act. The Commission plans to propose this Act to strengthen the EU’s economic security and competitiveness while promoting sustainable production, circular business models, and decarbonisation.
This feedback follows EFG’s co-organisation of the high-level EU Green Week 2025 debate, “Urban Mining: Unlocking Secondary Resources for a Circular Economy,” held at the European Parliament on 4 June 2025 under the patronage of MEP Susana Solís Pérez. The debate highlighted how geologists are essential to achieving the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) target of sourcing 15% of strategic raw materials from recycled content by 2030. Speakers stressed that geologists play a unique role in mapping, identifying, characterising, and certifying secondary raw materials, particularly those located in cities and the subsurface.
In its feedback submission to the European Commission, EFG emphasises that meeting the EU’s circularity and competitiveness goals requires enabling the identification, valorisation, and safe use of secondary raw materials. Geologists provide the scientific and technical foundation for this work: from subsurface screening and geodata collection to resource audits and the safe recovery of materials. Their expertise is indispensable for unlocking Europe’s urban deposits and for ensuring that recovery processes are robust, safe, and aligned with EU Green Deal and CRMA objectives.
EFG’s detailed recommendations are available here: https://eurogeologists.eu/go/efg-feedback-ce-act
