CICERO Social Licence to Operate Event Sparks Open Dialogue on Europe's Critical Raw Materials Future

On 3 June, stakeholders from across academia, industry, civil society and workers' organisations gathered in Helsinki for the CICERO Social Licence to Operate (SLO) event, titled "To mine or not to mine critical metals in Europe?" The event, organised as a Clustering event of the CICERO project, provided a unique platform for open and respectful dialogue on one of the most pressing challenges facing Europe's energy transition.

As Europe seeks to secure the critical raw materials needed for batteries, renewable energy technologies and clean mobility, the event addressed a fundamental question: how can Europe develop resilient and responsible critical raw material value chains while ensuring social legitimacy and public trust?

Participants explored this challenge from European, Nordic and global perspectives. The discussions highlighted that the debate is no longer centred on whether Europe should develop at least part of its own critical minerals supply. Instead, the focus has shifted to the conditions under which mining and processing activities can take place, where they should occur, and how communities and stakeholders can meaningfully participate in decision-making processes.

Speakers from different regions of the world challenged participants to look beyond Europe's often inward-looking debate. A recurring message throughout the day was that Europe remains one of the world's leading actors in promoting responsible and sustainable raw material development, but that it must also rethink its role in an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving global economy.

Several important lessons emerged from the discussions:

• Community-centred and benefit-sharing approaches are essential for securing long-term social legitimacy.
• Trust, transparency and accountability remain the key enablers of responsible mining and refining activities.
• Europe can learn valuable lessons from international experiences and emerging standards for responsible mining governance.
• The transition to a sustainable and secure raw materials future requires cooperation across the entire value chain, from resource extraction and refining to battery manufacturing and recycling.

The event also highlighted the importance of independent standards and multi-stakeholder engagement mechanisms that bring together local communities, workers, environmental organisations, industry and policymakers.

The Social Licence to Operate event directly supports CICERO's broader mission of developing sustainable, circular and cost-effective pathways for producing battery-grade materials in Europe. While technological innovation remains at the heart of the project, the discussions in Helsinki reinforced that successful deployment of critical raw material value chains depends equally on societal acceptance, stakeholder engagement and responsible governance.

The CICERO consortium would like to thank all speakers, participants and organisers for contributing to an insightful exchange of perspectives and helping advance the conversation on responsible critical raw material development in Europe and beyond.