European Minerals Day on biodiversity
Following the success of the first European Minerals Day in 2007 – which welcomed more than 30,000 visitors, in 106 sites, in 17 European countries – mineral producers from all over Europe will once again open their doors to the public on 15-17 May 2009.
This year special attention is being given to biodiversity with companies showcasing biodiversity projects they have developed. Some biodiversity case studies are already published on the European Minerals Day website. During guided visits of rehabilitated areas, visitors may be able to see rare plant and animal species.
Minerals play an essential role in our lives with 70% of EU manufacturing production dependent on mined substances. The construction, chemical, automotive, aerospace and machinery sectors (which provide a total added value of € 1324 billion and 30 million jobs) all depend on access to raw materials. While minerals play a vital and valuable role in human wellbeing providing products that meet the needs of today’s society, the way they are extracted from the earth has a potential impact on biodiversity. The minerals industry is actively working towards the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.
The focus of this years’ European Minerals Day is to explain what the EU is doing to ensure raw materials supply is sustainable, and how industry and environmental groups are working together to protect and enhance biodiversity.
The 2009 EU launch event will take place on 14 May in the Czech Republic and will be inaugurated by European Commission Vice-President Mr Günter Verheugen, EU Commissioner for Industry & Enterprise. Sebastian Winkler, Head of Countdown 2010, will speak at the inauguration event also attending are Miroslav Ouzky, Member of European Parliament and Chairman of the EP Environment Committee and Jaroslav Mil, President of the Confederation of Czech Industry.
UEPG (European Aggregate Association) and IMA-Europe (European Industrial Minerals Association), both committed Countdown 2010 Partners, are two of the organizers of the event. IMA-Europe has recently released its Biodiversity Statement living up to its commitment in the Countdown 2010 Declaration signed last September.
