Evidence must dictate CRM policy, BIR tells EU

The European Commission is being warned that its attempts to secure the future supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) could undermine the resilience and competitiveness of the recycling sector.

Measures in the newly published Economic Security Doctrine and the RESourceEU Action Plan include export restrictions on scrap and waste of permanent magnets, aluminium and potentially copper.

The Bureau of International Recycling has responded by arguing these could be counter-productive. It insists any trade-restrictive approaches must be grounded in transparent data, proportionality and a clear assessment of global market impacts.

Initiatives

The action plan includes initiatives directly affecting recyclers:

• export restrictions by early 2026 on scrap and waste of permanent magnets, targeted measures on aluminium scrap, and potential similar steps for copper
• expansion of EU product requirements and labelling rules for permanent magnets, including declarations of recycled content and measures encouraging recovery of pre-consumer waste
• strengthened focus on CRM waste shipment facilitation within the EU, aligned with the Waste Shipment Regulation.
• a European Critical Raw Materials Centre and a coordinated EU stockpiling scheme in 2026
• collections boosted under the revision of the WEEE Directive, improving access to CRM-containing end-of-life products.

The Economic Security Doctrine will assess whether new instruments are needed to respond to ‘unfair trade practices and global market distortions’.

Evidence is key

In response, BIR is calling for transparent, proportional, data-driven policy design based on real-world trade flows and a balanced understanding of the international recycling market.

‘To secure Europe’s industrial future and resilience, the continent needs competitive, well-functioning international markets for recycled materials,’ says Alev Somer, BIR trade and environment director.

‘We fully support the EU’s ambition to expand recycling capacity but this success depends entirely on evidence-based policies and predictable trade frameworks. Measures that hinder open trade, particularly those designed without rigorous global impact assessments, risk being entirely counterproductive.’