The European Technology Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources (ETP SMR) is an
organisation that strives to answer the challenges outlined in the EU Raw Materials Initiative and the Roadmap for a Resource-Efficient Europe. Established in 2005 and officially recognised by the
European Commission in September 2008, the ETP SMR unites many stakeholders from the mineral resources industrial, institutional and research communities, covering the whole value chain, and endeavours to involve regulators, consumers and civil society to contribute towards supporting a competitive and sustainable European economy. The ETP SMR focuses its activities on creating sustainable access to, and supply of, mineral raw materials including those classified as Critical Raw Materials by the European Commission (with members providing expertise in exploration, mining, smelting, recycling and metallurgical recovery and refining, including the highly innovative enabling technologies and equipment industry) through research and innovation, perfectly in line with the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials proposed by the EU, based on 3 pillars: fair and sustainable supply of raw materials from international markets; fostering sustainable supply within the EU; and boosting resource efficiency and recycling. The ETP SMR aims to develop innovative technologies and solutions along the entire value chain for cost effective, safe, environmentally and socially sound extraction and supply of mineral raw materials from both primary and secondary sources.