The European Commission has launched the Raw Materials Initiative, aiming to secure the raw material supply of EU member countries.
Finland is strongly in favour of the initiative, and the Finnish Government has launched the Mineral Strategy as a continuation of the Natural Resource Strategy for Finland. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy assigned the Geological Surevy of Finland, to be in charge of the preparation process, involving a large number of experts.
The starting point for the strategy included anticipating international and domestic development trends in the mineral sector in the next few decades, and based on this, making action proposals which support the establishment of a sustainable mineral policy and the development of the sector in a reasonable way for society and the business sector.
Mineral raw materials, such as metals, industrial metals, aggregates and natural stone are related to everyday activities of modern society. Finland has diverse mineral resources which are significant in relation to other national assets. Utilising the resources create jobs, growth and well-being to areas where prosperity would otherwise be difficult to achieve. Strategic competence and a well-planned approach ensure that the extractive industry conforms to a comprehensive, ecologically efficient and responsible mineral economy.
The long-term goal of the Mineral Strategy of Finland is to secure the national raw material supply, support regional development, reinforce global competitiveness and promote the responsible use of natural resources.
The Finnish mineral sector includes the mining and extractive industry, as well as the technology industry providing machinery, equipment and services in the sector. All these also closely involve research and education, as well as services supporting the sector. Excluding services supporting the sector, the annual turnover of the mineral sector is approximately EUR 3.5 billion, and the sector provides direct employment for about 12,000 people.
Further sectors relying on minerals include metal upgrading, the manufacturing of metals, chemicals and chemical products, non-metallic mineral products, and paper in addition to construction industry. The combined gross value of production by these customer sectors totalled about EUR 62 billion in 2008, of which the construction industry accounted for EUR 27 billion, and the rest for EUR 35 billion. In 2008, the customer sectors of the mineral industry provided direct employment to about 226,000 people, of which the construction industry accounted for 151,000 and the rest for 75,000.
Securing the supply of mineral raw materials is important for ensuring and improving prosperity. Mineral raw materials produced in Finland are exported to a very small extent.
The ongoing growth in mining production will largely replace the import of corresponding mineral raw materials. Diverse Finnish production will determine the raw material supply of many sectors both in Finland and other EU countries.
Source: Geofoorumi
