On 1 October, WCS EU brought together policymakers, researchers, and other key experts for a technical workshop in Brussels on “The Impacts of EU Mining Policies on Tropical Forests, Biodiversity & Local Communities in Partner Countries: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities”.
Mining is expanding in many tropical forest landscapes, bringing growing pressure on some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems and on the communities that depend on them. At the same time, the European Union is developing and implementing policies that influence how minerals are sourced, traded, and produced.
Drawing on WCS’s firsthand experience of the environmental and social impacts associated with mining activities, WCS EU commissioned International Conflict and Security Consulting (INCAS) to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the EU policy framework that influences mining in partner countries, the environmental and social safeguards embedded within them, and their real-world impacts. The analysis focuses on Laos and Gabon as national case studies.
The technical workshop provided an opportunity to present the key findings of the analysis and gain insights from experts working across policy, research and practice. Participants exchanged views on the strengths and limitations of the existing EU mining policy framework, the challenges of implementing safeguards in partner countries, and opportunities to improve coherence and effectiveness across different policy instruments. The discussions also helped highlight an important gap between policy frameworks and their implementation on the ground.
The feedback and perspectives gathered during the workshop will inform the finalisation of the INCAS report, which will be published soon and provide further insights into the challenges and opportunities for making EU mining policies more effective in protecting tropical forests, biodiversity and the local communities that depend on them.
Presenters and participants during the workshop.