Building Trust for Critical Raw Materials Future: SLO event highlights

Event Overview

CICERO Social Licence to Operate (SLO) event, titled "To mine or not to mine critical metals in Europe?", was held on 3 June in Helsinki. Organised as a Clustering event of the CICERO project, it provided a platform for stakeholders from academia, industry, civil society and workers' organizations to engage in open and respectful dialogue on the critical raw materials challenge.

Challenges Addressed

The event focused on how Europe can develop resilient and responsible critical raw material value chains while ensuring social legitimacy and public trust. Key topics included:

• Conditions under which mining and processing activities can take place
• Where mining and processing should occur
• How communities and stakeholders can meaningfully participate in decision-making processes

Key Insights

Participants discussed several important lessons:

• Community-centred and benefit-sharing approaches are essential for securing long-term social legitimacy
• Trust, transparency and accountability are key enablers of responsible mining and refining activities
• Europe can learn from international experiences and emerging standards for responsible mining governance
• The transition to a sustainable and secure raw materials future requires cooperation across the entire value chain
• Independent standards and multi-stakeholder engagement mechanisms are crucial for effective governance

Supporting CICERO's Mission

The event directly supports CICERO's broader mission of developing sustainable, circular and cost-effective pathways for producing battery-grade materials in Europe. It reinforces the need for societal acceptance, stakeholder engagement and responsible governance in the deployment of critical raw material value chains.