Geosciences are the bedrock of the European Union’s competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and security.
As the EU implements the Competitiveness Compass and the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), geosciences provide the essential foundation to secure resources, enable innovation, and strengthen resilience. Without robust geoscientific capacity, Europe risks greater dependence on external suppliers and the erosion of industrial and defence sovereignty.
The European Federation of Geologists (EFG), the International Raw Materials Observatory and EuroGeoSurveys therefore issue two key position papers:
- Geosciences Supporting the EU Competitiveness Compass: Consult the full paper (PDF)
- The Critical Role of Geoscience in EU Defence and Security Policy: Consult the full paper (PDF)
Geosciences contribute over €200 billion annually, support the extraction of strategic raw materials, the development of clean technologies, digital infrastructure, and defence systems, and underpin environmental protection.
To strengthen Europe’s sovereignty, geoscientific expertise must be integrated into industrial, defence, and education strategies, permitting processes accelerated, and international partnerships reinforced.