MDNP

The EU-Latin America Mineral Development Network Platform (MDNP) brings together all stakeholders, from entities and disciplines related to the non-energy extractive industries sector, in the European Union and Latin America. Through the platform, the already existing multilateral cooperation will be boosted by reinforcing the dialogue and strengthening business, institutional and academic ties that will lead to new business prospects between both parties. The MDNP will facilitate networking spaces for the exchange of best practices in the sector.

The EU, together with seven Latin American partner countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay), aims to materialise this common interest through the developed platform.

CHALLENGE

The mineral sector makes a vital contribution to Latin America economies and the European Union (EU). Not only does it provide important income and jobs directly or through its supply chains, but it also provides the raw materials that are essential for fast-growing, cutting-edge sectors such as renewable energy, fuel-efficient transportation or smart technologies. However, it faces multiple challenges, such as the difficulty of coping with lower raw material prices, the need to respect high social and environmental standards or the need to satisfy the most demanding customer requests.

Latin American and EU countries have expressed their mutual interest in harnessing the full potential of the extractive industries, both as contributors to local economies and as suppliers for key sectors of the future, in a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable manner, fully in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

SOLUTION

The objective of the EU-Latin America Mineral Development Network Platform is to bring together, building on existing multilateral cooperation, all relevant actors from entities and disciplines related to non-energy extractive industries in the EU and the following Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. Through this platform, it will support a continuous and structured cooperation between the EU and Latin America, reinforcing dialogue, promoting cutting-edge technologies, strengthening commercial, institutional and academic ties and opening new business perspectives, leading to win-win situations between the two strategic partners. Based on a comprehensive ad hoc analysis of the EU and Latin American extractive sector, the Mineral Development Network Platform (MDNP) will be developed to enable spaces for networking, information gathering and exchange of best practices. In April 2018, the first edition of the Mining and Exploration Convention and Trade Show EU-Latin America (Mining and Exploration Convention and Trade Show-METS) will be held in Madrid, where EU and Latin American sector stakeholders will be able to meet face-to-face, share first-hand information, participate in discussions, and promote their technologies, companies or organizations.

RESULTS

The Mining Development Network Platform will connect EU and Latin American stakeholders from the extractive industries sector and will strengthen and forge new ties across the Atlantic among the more than 100 actors involved in this initiative. In addition, the Platform will become a key player to participate in the scientific, social and regulatory development dialogue.