Minerals information for Europe: developments towards a more consistent future

Access to data and information relating to the current and potential supply of minerals in Europe is of fundamental importance to policy-makers at all levels of government and also to the European manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. However, the availability of data across the individual countries of Europe is variable and the quality of those data is inconsistent. Whilst statistical data on the production and trade of minerals has been compiled by the British Geological Survey (BGS) for many years, no dataset existed for mineral resources, reserves or exploration activities at a European level. A two year project called ‘Minerals Intelligence Network for Europe’ (Minerals4EU) aimed to begin the process of addressing these data gaps by bringing together all the available statistical data relating to mineral production, trade, resources, reserves, exploration and, for the first time, mineral-based secondary materials into the most comprehensive European Minerals Yearbook ever attempted. This new Yearbook was delivered digitally via an innovative EU Knowledge Data Platform which also included the compilation of spatial data relating to the location of mineral deposits across many countries of Europe. This paper includes basic facts about the Minerals4EU project, highlights some of the features of the Yearbook and provides examples of the available statistical data from 40 European countries. The project involved the collaboration of 31 organisations across 26 different nationalities and in itself provided valuable lessons in how disparate countries and cultures can work together towards a common aim. There is still much work to do in this area but at least the process has begun.