The European Union’s (EU) ninth sanctions package on Russia, agreed by the bloc’s ambassadors on Dec. 15 (GM Dec. 16, p. 1), included a prohibition on new investments in the Russian mining sector (GM Dec. 9, p. 1), as well as an extension of the already existing prohibition targeting new investments in the Russian energy sector.
However, the new regulation provides for an exemption of the prohibition for mining and quarrying activities related to certain critical raw materials, including mineral fertilizers, potash, and phosphate rock.
Other critical raw materials that are exempt include aluminium (including bauxite), chromium, cobalt, copper, iron ore, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, rhodium, scandium, titanium, vanadium, certain heavy rare earths, and certain light rare earths.