Parliament set to adopt stance on planned EU-US Critical Minerals Agreement
MEPs will discuss on Wednesday and and vote on Thursday on a resolution about a possible EU-US agreement to strengthen international critical minerals supply chains.
The draft resolution by Bernd Lange (S&D, DE), Chair of the Committee on International Trade, welcomes the opening of negotiations on an agreement that seeks to strengthen critical minerals supply chains and mitigate some of the negative repercussions of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on EU industry.
Parliament’s draft text says the agreement should prioritise sustainability, labour rights, and the inclusion of recycled materials. MEPs are set to say this agreement must be just the first of many steps towards addressing all of the EU’s concerns both about the IRA and more widely about outstanding trade frictions in EU-US relations.
The draft resolution accompanies a question for an oral answer to the Commission. MEPs want the Commission to explain which EU sectors will benefit the most from the agreement, and to what extent it will cover recycled minerals, among other issues.
Background
The Council recently authorised the Commission to commence negotiations with the United States on a Critical Minerals Agreement (CMA), based on the Commission’s negotiating directives adopted in June. Any formal agreement resulting from such negotiations will require Parliament’s consent.
Procedure Code: 2023/2772(RSP)
Procedure: Oral question, with resolution
Debate: Wednesday 13 September
Vote: Thursday 14 September