EU-US to collaborate on 'rare earths'

EurActiv - The US Congress and the European Parliament could hold parallel hearings and produce a joint communiqué on crucial raw materials as part of efforts to cooperate on areas of strategic interest, according to a senior Washington policymaker.

Congressman Bart Gordon, chairman of the Committee on Science & Technology of the House of Representatives, wants parliamentarians on both sides of the Atlantic to identify common ground on rare earth minerals, which are vital for green technologies. Gordon told the European Parliament's committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE) that China's near-monopoly on key raw materials is "very troubling" and could hamper advances in alternative energy and telecoms products.

Collaboration on rare earths could be a template for further cooperation in areas such as intellectual property, cyber security, clean water, energy security and carbon capture and storage (CCS), according to the congressman...He added that the chairpersons of other House of Representatives committees would be willing to look at how they can work more closely with MEPs, particularly in light of the new powers conferred on the European Parliament by the Lisbon Treaty.