Mineral resources, are currently reported and classified in different ways across the EU and the world. Many countries are not using internationally recognized classification systems and reporting standards, but rather their national ones. This makes communication and evaluation of exploration potential or production capacity of a country or region difficult. In the support of European mineral industry value chain, the European Commission issued in 2024 so called “Critical Raw Materials Act” , which integral part is the use of United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) for reporting of known and potential mineral resources of those raw materials considered strategic and critical for the EU.

In SEMACRET we have a dedicated team of scientists that are conducting resource mapping of the type of deposits we study, the orthomagmatic deposits, which are related to critical mineral resource exploration and production potential across the EU and neighbouring countries, including Ni, Cu, PGE, V, Ti, Cr. The aim of this effort is to classify the different mineral resource categories of orthomagmatic ore deposits, following international universal classification such as UNFC code proposed by the United Nations

Last year our team took part in several high-level meetings such as the UNECE resource management week in Geneva. SEMACRET project and its activities related with Resource Mapping and UNFC conversion were presented on 22nd April as a part of the session of the Expert Group on Resource Management entitled “UNFC Seminar The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources and the EU Critical Raw Materials Act 360: Navigating Excellence, Collaboration, and Innovation”.

Later in the year (October) our team particiapted in the RMIS- Raw Materials Information System workshop organized by HaDEA in an hybrid event in Brussles which aimed at supporting the Raw Materials Information System of the European Commission. 

Clear communication and reporting stndardization is crucial for a fair and transparent inventory of mineral resources, in SEMACRET we are doing our share to contribute to this harmonization effort to meeting EU goals!

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