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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
News article8 November 2022Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Strategic Partnership between the European Union and Kazakhstan on sustainable raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen value chains

On 7 November, in the margins of COP-27, in Egypt the president of the European Commission and prime minister of Kazakhstan signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Kazakhstan on a strategic partnership in the field of raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen.    

It is the third strategic partnership that the Commission has signed, following the EU’s critical raw materials action plan. The Memorandum of Understanding ensures the development of a secure and sustainable supply of raw materials and refined materials. It also aims to develop renewable hydrogen and battery value chains, to boost the green and digital transformation of both sides' economies. 

The partnership that builds on the existing enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement (EPCA) centres around three areas of collaboration.

Areas of collobaration

Closer economic and industrial integration in the strategic value chains of raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen by

  • identifying joint projects throughout the respective value chains, including recycling and attracting private investment
  • aligning high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards
  • modernising mining and refining processes and technologies by introducing new technologies and sustainable practice

Increasing the resilience of raw material, battery and renewable hydrogen supply chains through, among others

  • enhancing transparency and information on measures regarding investment, operations and partnership-relevant exports

Closer bilateral cooperation on capacity-building, skills and research and innovation on topics by

  • decarbonising the critical raw materials value chain, including by using renewable energy and digitalisation 
  • greening and sustainability of mining processes 
  • managing industrial mineral waste and extracting critical raw materials from them 

Future context

The EU and Kazakhstan have committed to develop a Roadmap for 2023-2024, with concrete joint actions agreed within six months of the signature of the partnership. These should be carried out in close cooperation with relevant industrial and financial stakeholders from the EU countires and Kazakhstan.

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