Does the Critical Raw Materials Act Affect the Daily Work of European Geoscientists?

 

by Antje Wittenberg ^{1, 7}*, Christian Masurenko ^{2, 7}, Michael Neumann ^{3, 7}, Bernd Schürmann ^{4, 7}, Stefan Höntzsch ^{5, 7}, and Christoph Hilgers ^{6, 7}

¹ Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover, Germany

² ECTerra GEO Consult GBR, Twistringen, Germany

³ Natural Resources Consulting, Lennestadt, Germany

⁴  AMSTRA Environment & Mining, Unna, Germany

⁵ BDG Committee for Industry and Economy; Bonn; Germany

⁶ Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

⁷ Berufsverband Deutscher Geowissenschaftler (BDG), Bonn, Germany

Contact: antje.wittenberg@bgr.de

Abstract

Challenges related to the reliable supply of raw materials under fair and environmentally sound conditions are addressed in the European Union (EU) in line with its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The benchmarks for 2030 and the mandatory requirements for industry and Member States set by the CRMA will affect the work of geologists across Europe. The CRMA and the need to arrange for specific information in the United Nations Framework for Classification for Resources (UNFC) format calls for qualified geologists from both the public and private sectors as well as improved school and academically education. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programs help to maintain and expand the expertise as Competent Person or Qualified Expert, respectively.

Keywords

Minerals, Mineral Reporting Standard, Resource Classification, Critical Raw Materials Act, Certified European Geologists, EurGeol, Qualified Experts, UNFC

Note:

Papers published in this special issue of the European Geologist journal have undergone a thorough peer-review process but have not been copy-edited. Authors bear full responsibility for the linguistic accuracy of their contributions.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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1. Introduction

Geology and resource management help to resolve disruptions in the supply chains, caused for example by trade conflicts, climate change, catastrophic weather events as well as armed conflicts and geopolitical disruptions, which lead to a loss of accessibility to deposits, especially when availability of and access to natural resources cannot be guaranteed locally [1]. Geology and resource management at the interface of natural and engineering sciences secure our livelihoods, our prosperity and the sustainable use of natural resources. Our topics are at the beginning of the value chain for raw materials, energy, subsoil, and groundwater. At the frontend of this value chain, the availability and the accessibility to groundwater, soils, energy and mineral raw materials that are of the right quality and quantity are of great importance [2]. Knowledge and the competent handling of georisks, might they be of political social of geological nature, play a major role here, as do soil management, remediation, and the geological storage of large amounts of energy [3]. The recycling of heterogeneous mineral materials from primary (mining and processing residuals) and secondary sources (End-of-life (EoL) products) and the safe storage of CO₂, toxic and radioactive substances mark the end of the value chain, where again quality and quantity of the accessible resources are key elements [4-6]. Finally, resource management can be an import tool, if there is no social license to operate especially in densely populated areas.

A reliable supply of raw materials is indispensable for industry and for human society, therefore. Ensuring access to these materials, produced and delivered under fair and environmentally sound conditions is essential to the public as well [7, 8]. The production of raw materials, industrial processing and the manufacture of semi-finished and finished products often involves the use of considerable quantities of water that are temporarily removed from the water cycle. This can have an impact on the water table or on the water quality of ground and surface waters. In some cases, the purified process water may even have a better water quality than the water fed into the system. Governments, public authorities, and agencies must ensure the right framework, rules, and regulations, as well as appropriate monitoring of actions, to secure the resources needed for a prosperous economy. Those conditions shall maintain resilience and competitiveness in the value chains of the global market, whilst leading to greater independence. These complex set of challenges shall be addressed in the European Union (EU) raw materials policies in line with its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) [9].

The high vulnerability of EUs economy caused by distortions of reliable access to raw materials is also reflected by the continuing growing EU list of critical raw materials (CRM) and the associated list of strategic raw materials (SRM). Annex II of the CRMA lists currently 34 CRM and Annex I list 17 SRM that are of strategic importance to the EU [9]. The CRMA mandates that a minimum of 10% of the EU raw material supply should come from sources within the EU by 2030. Assessing and contextualizing the potential of projects that aim to supply at least 10% of the EU’s annual consumption of SRM by 2030, for example, requires expertise in various fields, of which geology is one of the key pillars. In addition, 40% of the EU´s raw material supply should generate from processing in the EU and 25% should originate from secondary sources as of recycling by 2030. All in all it needs to be ensured that no third country accounts for more than 65 % of the EU’s annual consumption of any of the defined SRM [9].

Europe is a fractured continent, both in terms of its political boundaries and structures and in terms of its complex and diverse geology. The diverse geological structures and units range from the geologically stable shield of the Fennoscandian Caledonides with their granites, gneisses and metamorphic rocks to the geomorphologically active region of southern Europe and the Mediterranean, where ophiolites are exposed and ore bodies are often tectonically isolated (e.g. Dinarides). While some challenges and solutions may be similar, others must clearly take into account regional geology and national circumstances. At the same time, Europe is largely unexplored using modern technologies. Hence, potential deeper deposits have not yet been identified. The full potential of the EU’s mineral resources is therefore not yet known and has not yet been recorded in national mineral resource inventories. However, this knowledge is essential for achieving the benchmarks given by the CRMA. Findings shared and effectively communicated to ensure public support and obtain the social license to operate are crucial ingredients of success [10]. These information can be visualized using the PERC (Pan European Reserves and Resources Reporting Committee) Mineral Reporting Standard [11, 12] together with the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) [13]. The CRMA requests the EU Member States to use UNFC in reports to the European Commission, for example on national exploration programs and SRM/CRM production [9].

In all of these areas, geologists are needed to identify opportunities, leverage today’s unknown sources into tomorrow’s known deposits, to realise modern mining, and help to secure and monitor supply chains and resources [14-17]. The question posed in the title also raises the issue of promoting the qualification of skilled human resources at universities and in the workplace, for which professional certification based on common standards is also of crucial importance. The challenges and tasks associated with securing Europe’s natural resources will have a significant impact on geologists across Europe [18]. This needs to be reflected in academic qualifications and reinforced by the industry and public sector experience described below. The credibility and adequacy of the experience and training of certified individuals must be ensured for this purpose. Here, we consider Germany as an example, and we highlight some of the key challenges that the CRMA entails for geologists from public and private sectors. Germany urgently needs to promote young geologists and other geoscientists. The importance of this profession must be emphasized and communicated in school curricula already. The CRMA requires experts who can judge and audit the deposits in Europe. In continuous, we discuss possible solutions offered by professional organizations such as the German Professional Association of Geoscientist (BDG).

2. Materials and Methods

The authors used publicly available scientific publications as quoted, considered discussions in the scientific community and those of the public in general provided at workshops, conferences in print and digital media. Views on public perception and competence of UNFC users were considered at the UNECE Resource Week 2023 to 2025. The results of the UNFC Adoption Group, discussions at national workshops on UNFC and at annual conferences jointly organized by the BDG, the European Federation of Geologists (EFG), the German Geological Society (DGGV) and the German Mineralogical Society (DMG) are taken into account and weighed against national concerns [19]. The latter addresses the social acceptance, standard and codes related to raw materials by a session since 2020 providing academia, young researcher, representatives of public authorities and industry as well as consultants, a platform to present and to discuss recent issues related.

The research process followed the method commonly used in the social sciences and for policy and opinion documents to derive the conclusions made here: a) literature review and data collection, b) data validation and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), c) data analysis and interpretation. The references and data used are cited and have been checked for quality and validity to the best of the authors’ knowledge. The data analysis forms the basis for the authors’ interpretation as expressed in this paper.

3. Results

3.1.1. Role of actors

The demand for and availability of raw materials affects everyone in the modern world, although the degree to which they are affected varies greatly. This applies to individuals or groups with special interests, as well as to institutions and authorities committed to the public. This section examines briefly the roles of the various stakeholders involved in the provision of raw materials.

3.1.2. Private Sector

The private raw material sector is very diverse as it ranges from private individuals to large corporations that are even global players. Concerning the CRMA we see key roles for the stakeholders as described below.

Industry/Companies are the most important players in realizing fundamental economic interests. They are important pioneers for projects. Their main tasks include raising funds, taking risks, and performing operational tasks. As project operators, they bring all stakeholders together to find solutions, even for controversial issues.;

Consultants act as important players who provide independent expertise. They can function as junior companies or as moderators between interest groups. As such, these experts play an ambivalent role by supporting authorities and investors in assessing the significance of deposits

Investors, who commit resources to the realization of projects, can be capital providers or impact investors who invest to achieve social or environmental goals. Investors are not limited to the private sector and can come from the public sector.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and citizens’ initiatives play an important role as watchdogs and promoters of public acceptance throughout the life cycle of a raw materials project (from exploration to mine site remediation). The special role of NGOs and citizens’ initiatives is discussed in many publications on the topic of “social license to operate (SLO)” [20-24]. A common conclusion for social acceptance requires the full disclosure of any mining process, including the results of long-term monitoring of projects. All these roles are crucial to realise projects at site while respecting the needs of the local community.

Associations, at a private level, act as key drivers to prove competency of experts, to promote expert competency and to develop industrial standard of high quality further. Activities of association are driven by professional competency and practical demand.

3.1.3. Public Sector

The public sector is divided here into:

Academic institutions, i.e. research institutes and universities, play a key role when it comes to future scenarios. They ensure the basic knowledge and provide new developments, including new methods, technologies, strategies that shall make the society and students fit for future. The curriculum of higher education and the research topics follow also the mainstream and fundamental politics. Altruistic and holistic topics or those that may lead to controversy discussion play often a nice role although essential for critical assessments. Researchers are obliged to ensure research funds that on its own must follow specific rules and timing. Therefore, it is necessary to allocate budget lines that address the challenges related to training, education, and capacity building in the given context.

Authorities, defined as state geological surveys, mining authorities and other responsible administrative authorities, play the role to balance societal needs with the needs of individuals and general political views. In some cases, they are confronted with conflicting regulations or requirements. When it comes to raw materials, exploration and mining the authorities need to make sure that actors follow the legal requirements. The basis for mining law in Germany is the Federal Mining Act (BBergG) [25]. This is enforced and supplemented by additional regulations through the individual federal states. It is supplemented by state-specific issues where required.

The mining authorities issue permits for exploration and extraction and supervising operational safety, environmental protection, and health. Further tasks are managing mine closures and land restoration as well as handling mining damage claims and involving the public in major projects. The structure is decentralized. Almost each state has its own mining authority, and the structure varies.

The state geological survey (SGD) provides independent expertise on all aspect of the regional geology. They are the custodians of the region´s minerals inventory and of the history of exploration and mining of the region. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) supplements the work of the SGDs at a federal and international level through, among other things, federal services and scientific research. In the field of raw materials, the BGR advises the Federal Government and the German industry on issues relating to the management of raw materials and geoscience, particularly with regard to securing Germany’s long-term supply of raw materials and energy, the final disposal of highly radioactive waste, and the sustainable management of georesources.

The challenges are differences in enforcement, which lead to inconsistent standards and decreasing practical mining and geological experience. Ongoing debates on transparency, public participation, and federal oversight, especially in areas like fracking, geothermal energy, and new mining ventures hinder the effectiveness. Long processing times for operating plans and applications jeopardize the implementation of new mining projects.

3.2. Some European specifics

The complex geology of Europe that covers geographically around 10 million km², is also a core task of the geologist’s daily work in and for the countries. Towards the eastern and southern-eastern the Europe tectonic plate boundary is still is indicated by the Ural and the Caucasus Mountain Range and the Black Sea and Caspian Sea which also has geographical implications for countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Russia. Although the latter three countries are largely located on the Asian continent, Russia’s European territory covers around 4 million km², making it the largest country in the region. Only 27 of those countries are members of the EU covering an area of around 4.2 million km². About 449.3 million people live here, in average 107 people per km² as of 2023 [26]. This dense population affects the challenges and needs of the countries by large. The pressure on water supply or access to soil to do farming is high therefore for countries like Malta (1.766 people/km²) and the Netherlands (526 people/km²) in particular whereas countries like Sweden (25.9 people/km²) or Finland (15.2 people/km²) may face challenges to lift their natural wealth in the remote areas.

Europe has a long tradition of mining [27-29]. Back in the 19th up to the 20th century, Germany was one of the important mining countries in Europe. Lead, copper, silver, iron, tungsten, tin, zinc salt-minerals, anthracite and lignite are among those commodities being mined for centuries. The Harz Mountains with its ore deposits Rammelsberg (Pb-Cu-Zn), Iberg (Fe-Mn), the diabas ranges (Fe), dykes of the Upper Harz (Pb-Zn) and Mansfeld copper-shales (Zn-Cu-Pb) have been mined for more than 1700 years. The miners there have been frontrunners in mining in early modern Europe reflected in academia [30-33]. Mining also led to innovation in mining engineering, mineral processing, new products and prosperity. First strategic research and education goes back to the 16th Century on Gregor Agricola and more than 250 years old TUs Bergakademie Freiberg and Clausthal-Zellerfeld. They were recognised as the foremost scientific academies in the world [34-39], at least up to the second world war. However, the majority of CRM has hardly been of any interest in history due to a lack of industrial applications. Information on their distribution and amount in mined ores were either not been analysed at all (mainly due to lack of technology) or not systematically reported as it might be rather an issue for processing. Existing geological and mineralogical data must be re-examined for information on CRM. Geologists still expect undiscovered deposits at greater depths in the Harz Mountains (e.g. SEDEX type deposits currently investigated by undisclosed junior mining companies) and elsewhere.

The EU and its associated countries are largely underexplored using modern technologies in many places. This means that potential deeper deposits have not yet been identified. Therefore, the full potential of the EU’s mineral resources is not known and, hence, not included in the national mineral inventories either. There has been little systematic and strategic general exploration by government geological services in the EU Member States this century. Nevertheless, companies have continued to carry out targeted exploration work, mainly to expand existing operations. The targeted exploration of new deposits has so far played a subordinate role and has often met with a lack of understanding in the region. The CRMA now obliges the Member States to set up general national exploration programs (NEP) and to adapt them on a regular basis focusing on SRM in particular [9]. Therefore, geologists need to be skilled in exploration and assessment of specific deposit types of key interest, with the objective of interest being adapted to future needs. The exploration needs to be conducted environmentally and societal sound, while the assessment of a resource project that is in line with UNFC takes into account all aspects from social and ecological issues to technical and financial issues. The geologist ensures that the balance for necessary sampling to understand the value of a deposit is in balance with the cost and benefit that can be gained. Eventually, when acting as competent or qualified person (CP/QP) the geologist ensures the security of investors and the civil society by reporting on deposits according to international best practice. State geologists advocate the public interest in particular.

3.3. Key challenges and opportunities

Easy targets are no longer accessible in the EU and are now being mined elsewhere, as the shift of mining to other continents shows [40]. Germany’s supply of raw materials and energy is highly dependent on international markets (crude oil, natural gas, H₂ and derivate, metals, specialty raw materials (i.e. REE), chemicals, alloys, intermediate products) with high market concentrations. German mining industry was transformed since the late 1990s away from mining to different industrial sectors almost completely and mines sold or closed (e.g. East German copper industry, Metallgesellschaft AG, and Preussag). This has also caused a shift towards a buying (often just in time) and trading oriented metal industry in Europe. German economy, for example, secures raw materials and intermediate products along its value chain on the free market. The low level of downstream integration of the manufacturing industry has also led to a decoupling between the primary suppliers and the demand industry. The increasing distortion in the global market over the last decade is forcing the mining industry and the product-oriented sectors to reconnect, horizontally and vertically integrate [41]. While the industry focus in Germany changed and domestic mining reached its limits, caused by higher energy and labour costs, lack of risk capital, and public perception, research and education also largely moved away from economic geology. At the same time and in mining in particular, we are seeing a significant shift toward international students at universities. In many cases, courses are taught in English, and students do not acquire sufficient German language skills. However, graduates with poor German language skills are unsuitable for the German market, both in mining, and in other industries. A balance must be found here. On the one hand, German companies must undergo a paradigm shift and become more “international,” while on the other hand, universities must insist that their graduates have at least sufficient German language skills. This shortage of qualified and experienced experts is a problem for the mining industry, which is competing with other sectors for increasingly scarce skilled personnel. However, consequences can be expected in terms of approval and licensing procedures and technical supervision, as the public sector is confronted with this shortcoming of capable officials amplified by the demographic change. A lack of public understanding on raw materials exploration, extraction and distribution, as well as on the modern technology used to extract them, can hinder efforts to gain the trust of the local communities and to secure investment funding.

Knowledge of geology and earth natural resources is fundamental to understand the connection between nature, economy, and our own behaviour. It helps to understand the Earth we are living on, to use natural resources wisely and to tackle the future environmental, social and economic challenges. However, schools often limit their curriculum to human geography, while grasp of geological formations, natural hazard risks and resources such as raw materials are missing. Yet, understanding what raw materials are, where to find them and where they indispensable in our daily life is a key competence, forester critical thinking and inspire new solutions on circular economy, consume, trade and geopolitical aspects for instance.

The CRMA has broadened its focus from CRM to SRM, thereby improving understanding of the link between the productivity and availability of these raw materials [9]. However, there is a risk that attention will be diverted from commodities with high self-sufficiency or export rates. Raw materials such as sand and gravel are indispensable to the construction industry and the regional economy, so it is crucial that these resources are carefully managed.

Moreover, the federal democratic constitution of Germany is an extra challenge as the administration competence for most raw materials are with the German States, according to the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz, GG). The Basic Law assumes that the federal states are primarily responsible for areas such as education (schools and universities), culture, and municipal administration (Arts. 30, 70, 83 GG). This includes spatial planning, the exploration and mining of natural resources, mining regulations, topics of the curriculum, and dealing with historical mining sites. In addition to EU-level and federal government requirements, such as the Federal Mining Act (BBergG) [25], state administrations apply their own laws. Therefore, when exploring or developing mines whose deposits cross-political borders, the relevant regional authorities (i.e. mining, environmental and geological survey authorities) in the associated states must be involved.

The situation calls for an increase of the efficiency of approval procedures and land use planning, a targeted reduction in bureaucracy and acceleration of procedures in the political process, with priority given to areas of resource use. The relevant authorities must exchange information and collaborate closely but also interact actively with the private sector (companies operating a project), potentially requiring reorganisation to meet the challenges.

Furthermore, it is commanding that the European Union actively supports school education in geology, the training and professional development of the next generation of geologists to ensure the medium- to long-term resilience of Europe’s resource-based economy. By investing in targeted training programmes and fostering academic excellence, the EU can promote a cohort of experts capable of identifying pivotal and prospective raw material projects, as well as thoroughly auditing both current and historical undertakings. Such competence will enable the recommendation of optimal pathways to accelerate the development of reliable CRM resources, thus ensuring that both immediate and long-term supply needs are met with flexibility, resilience and foresight.

Compliance with globally recognised requirements for the qualification of professionals in the mining sector, who, in addition to the relevant academic training, also have relevant experience in the respective sub-disciplines of the geosciences, is regularly reviewed by the certified EurGeol title. The promotion of the EurGeol title, the certified geologists and similar professionals in authorities will help to enhance the communication between public and private sector. It also supports the application of the international CRIRSCO- or UNFC-based codes that form part of the CRM evaluation process.

3.4. Reliable Information

More than ever reliable, easy understandable and communicable data supports a successful realization of a raw material project. Reliable information is crucial for fact-based decision-making. This applies in particular to investment decisions in raw material mining and processing, which can easily reach a magnitude of greater than hundred million Euros accompanied by a high risk of severe cost overrun. Therefore, international reporting standards such as the CRIRSCO (Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards) based PERC remain important for industry and banking applications, since they form the foundation for investment decisions [11].

Exploration activities before mining, mining geology during operational phases and post-mining activities during mine closure are all of immense importance. This responsibility is not limited to overseeing mapping, drilling, sampling, geophysics, modelling, and resource estimation but extends to quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC), public reporting, and cooperation with other mining and economic specialists. The competence, credibility and independence of the expert in the matter is of central importance for the broad acceptance of factual information [42].

It also facilitates communication with stakeholders about the impact of a project. Expertise in geology and raw materials is essential for assessing the viability of projects at any stage also in financial and public sectors. Geologists in both the public and private sectors require training to qualify them to assess and classify resources in accordance with the UNFC as outlined within the CRMA. Certified European Geologists (e.g. EurGeol) play a key role here, in the assessment of projects and compliance with UNFC standard and in the application of the much more detailed requirements for an investment decision based on PERC. These geologists should be responsible for monitoring and evaluating raw material projects in and for the European Union.

3.5. Capacity building

Supporting schools, universities and promoting practical training programmes are essential to ensure the next generation of skilled geoscientists. Without investing in education and hands-on experience, the industry will face a shortage of qualified personnel, making it increasingly difficult to assess deposits efficiently and responsibly. Fostering expertise in geosciences not only accelerates resource evaluation but also strengthens the industry’s ability to respond to future challenges and innovations. Ultimately, a robust pipeline of trained experts is critical for the sustainable management of mineral resources and the economic health of the sector.

In addition to promote the qualification of young professionals at universities, professional certification based on common standards is vital to assure the credibility and adequacy of certified individuals’ experience and education. In Europe, this is ensured by the professional associations such as the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) and its national partner organization through the certification of European Geologists (EurGeol). These EurGeol may act as Competent Persons (CP) or Qualified Experts (QE) if providing the necessary qualification and experience [1]. QEs may also be experts from national geological services (GSO). In many cases, these experts are civil servants who must comply with specific national regulations and restrictions. These professionals take part in annual Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programs to maintain and expand their expertise as CP or QE, respectively. This is important not only for CRM and SRM but also for other economically significant raw materials, such as water, industrial minerals and construction materials like sand, gravel, and clay that are the most common commodities produced in the EU.

These efforts align with broader activities, such as the EU International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resources (ICE-SRM), which is a EuroGeoSurveys initiative [43]. The majority of GSO in Europe are involved in implementing these initiatives locally. Their work greatly enhances capacity building and mutual understanding in the application of UNFC in national and regional contexts [18]. The crucial role to play by the ICE-SRM EU is notified already by the Austrian Government and highlighted in the national guidance document [44]. In cooperation with the Professional Association of German Geoscientists (BDG), the BGR provides this s training and advice to create a shared understanding within the geological community, taking into account regional and national specifics.

3.6. German Network of Interested Parties on UNFC

Implementing the UNFC or complying with the CRIRSCO reporting standards like PERC presents an additional challenge in a decentralized structure, where responsibilities relating to raw materials are divided between different parties. The institutions involved include ministries, mining authorities, and state geological offices. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is therefore establishing a voluntary network in Germany called the ‘German Network of Interested Parties (DeNI)’ as a first of its kind. Similar to the UNECE Network of Practitioners (NoPE) that brings together UNFC applicants mainly from GSO and mining authorities from European countries, DeNI is a voluntary network without a legal mandate. However, DeNI brings together experts from authorities such as ministries and mining authorities, state geological surveys, industry, and the scientific community who are interested in understanding, applying, and using UNFC for their own purposes, and who see opportunities to address the shortcomings of the current national inventory system. This network serves as a multiplier to ensure coherence in the application of UNFC among states and between different stakeholders.

4. Discussion

Germany and the EU are and will remain highly dependent on international markets concerning their CRM consumption. Global tensions require far-sighted actions to ensure a secure, crisis-proof, sustainable and affordable supply of CRM and energy. Challenges related to the reliable supply of raw materials under fair and environmentally sound conditions are addressed in the EU in line with its CRMA. The implementation of the CRMA for 34 CRM and 17 SRM is necessary for Europe’s economic and independent future [9]. Domestic resources in Europe and Germany can contribute to the security of supply and to the technological development of more sustainable extraction. Circular economy and recycling contribute to raw material demand, but can cover neither the global demand nor that of an industry nation.

The benchmarks for 2030 and the mandatory requirements for industry and Member States set by the CRMA will affect the work of geologists and other geoscientists across Europe. Providing at least 10% of the EU’s raw materials from EU sources and the need to arrange for specific information in the UNFC format calls for qualified geologists from both the public and private sectors. They have to be theoretical knowledge and practical experienced in calculating and classifying resource estimations, auditing and evaluation of those in addition to the resource geological expertise [44]. CPD programs help to maintain and expand their expertise as CP and QE, respectively. According to PERC and UNFC standards, only experienced, certified geologists who are designated as competent by their professional associations or authorities, have their necessary experience, and undergo annual training programs should evaluate natural resource projects and public reporting, where the requirements for UNFC classification are less strict. Promoting geoscience in schools and universities will be key to guarantee an expansion of the geoscience community with relevant expertise rather than continuing the downgrading of number of experts. In the next 5-10 years, the sector will face further shortage of experts even beyond the targets for 2030. Simplifying and de-bureaucratizing procedures drastically is key to reducing application times. Federal and state institutions must provide long-term support to ensure experienced personnel with the necessary expertise are available.

The first EU-funded projects for the extraction of CRM in Europe are facing significant opposition in the regions where the materials are sourced. There is a need to improve participatory communication and promote interaction with affected citizens and non-governmental organizations (NGO) kicked-off by joint actions of the industry related government agencies and NGOs such as the BDG. The Social Licence to Operate (SLO) is a key pillar of each and every exploration and mining project. Therefore, it is imperative that the mining industry develops clear and transparent procedures together with relevant authorities explaining projects in a simple, transparent and clear language to the public. The role of a geoscientist is to support community relations managers in explaining the technical details of a project in a simple and coherent manner. Additionally, education on geology in general, natural resources and the interrelation of between raw materials and individual lifestyles must be expanded for civil society and schoolchildren. Staff in the authorities must be trained to support approval procedures. To tackle the situation, the joint efforts of all stakeholders from the private and public sectors are needed. Collaborative projects, activities such as the networking initiatives mentioned above and the School Olympics for Earth Sciences organized by DVGeo [45] are valuable contributions, but they alone cannot remedy the deficits [5, 18].

Well-funded research further develops the skills at universities and enables authorities and companies to evaluate, approve and implement projects thanks to qualified graduates. Applied topics relate to the exploration and extraction of raw materials, the processing and preparation of raw materials, recycling, exploration, extraction and quality management of groundwater, energy and energy storage, e.g. of natural hydrogen with innovative methods, the assessment of the potential of natural hydrogen, and measures to reduce the consequences of climate change through Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), flooding and landslides. Therefore, it is indispensable to improve the geological and mining education of students at the universities. As in other sectors, too, it will be required to promote geoscience directly in schools and integrate earth science in the school curriculum. This should be also supported by the various national associations as well as the EU. CPD programs for experienced geologists in order to explore and evaluate mineral deposits, secure supply chains and correctly calculate resources of raw materials and recycled materials are crucial to keep the competence high in the sector. This includes the quality assurance during mining, management of mine closures and land restoration by geologists and georesource managers. Necessary instruments are UNFC and related mineral reporting standards such as PERC.

Comprehensive funding programs that support exploration and mining in Europe and overseas are essential. National exploration programs (NEP) addressing general exploration as a necessary step to improve national resource knowledge and comprehensive and sustainable resource management prior to target exploration and its related heavy investments. Re-examined existing geological, mineralogical and geochemical data for information on CRM in combination with modern research can be carried out within the framework of the NEP, building the backbone information of first UNFC assessments often processed by appropriately certified EurGeols.

At the same time, bureaucracy should be simplified and competency between state and provincial authorities need to be eased in order to join forces to speed up the exploration and mining processes. Expanding cooperation and strengthening the exchange of expertise between administrative agencies and specialist institutions in the European Union must be part of those actions. In conjunction with other European examples/projects, the significance of individual projects for the local and national economy can be highlighted. Suitable examples can therefore also serve as a blueprint for the national and international significance of these projects.

Furthermore, the EU’s efforts to ensure the resilience of its raw materials must extend beyond securing the supply of sustainable CRMs and SRMs. Even if sufficient quantities of mineral construction raw materials can be extracted from domestic deposits, careful and balanced management is still required. To create local value, keep emissions low and comply with high social and environmental standards, it is important that they are available close to where they are needed.

5. Concluding remarks

In summary, the CRMA and the need for raw materials in Europe implements: a) an improved education for exploration geologists and mining geologists at universities, b) further certification after they completed the necessary professional experience to become an EurGeol, and c) extended training for certified geologists such as competent persons and qualified experts. Qualified understanding and knowledge concerning needs and use of raw materials and related disciplines already starts during general education at school (MINT or STEM disciplines). Qualified geologists can act as facilitator towards teachers and trainers in order to increase the knowledge on geosciences and raw materials.

The challenges and opportunities in the field of CRM and SRM are diverse and wide ranged. They cannot be tackled by one player alone. A holistic and comprehensive effort by private and public actors is needed to ensure reliable and sustainable access to resources from all suitable sources. This effort is crucial to gaining the public’s trust in the correctness and importance of the necessary measures. The voluntary network of experts and the associations of professionals are aligned to support actions in capacity building, promotion of PERC and UNFC and to support the public in questions related to geology. The Professional Association of German Geoscientists (BDG) is prepared to take up this challenge in context with other stakeholders.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, A.W. and C.H.; methodology, A.W.; validation, C.M., M.N., B.S., S.H. and C.H.; investigation, A.W., M.N., and C.H.; resources, A.W.; writing—original draft preparation, A.W.; writing—review and editing, M.N., C.M., S.H., B.S. and C.H.; project administration, A.W.; funding acquisition, A.W.. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.”

Funding: This research received no external funding.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank the Federal Institute for Geoscience and Natural Resources (BGR) for financing this work.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process: During the preparation of this work, the authors used ChatGPT and DeepL to refine and condense the text. After using this tool/service, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

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This article has been published in European Geologist Journal 60 – 5th IPGC Special Edition 1