Source: European Parliament
1. The Commission has already published all Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on its website[1].
2. The Commission drafts the roadmaps of the MoUs with the partner country, in cooperation with the European delegation and the Member States’ embassies. The roadmaps are working-level documents. The Commission reports on the progress achieved on the partnerships and on the roadmaps to the Critical Raw Materials Board[2]. The Parliament is an observer to the Board.
3. The MoU between the EU and Rwanda[3] has as one of its main objectives to support the sustainable and responsible sourcing, production and processing of raw materials , in line with the EU’s renewed Great Lakes Strategy[4]. The goal is to increase traceability and transparency and to reinforce the fight against illegal trafficking of minerals. Notably, the MoU with Rwanda supports Rwanda’s engagement with the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. In addition, the EU fully supports regional efforts to increase traceability and transparency and reinforce the fight against illegal trafficking of minerals, including through support to the relevant work and action of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region of which all the countries in the region including Rwanda are members. In view of the latest developments, the Foreign Affairs Council of 24 February 2025 also discussed the need to review the MoU with Rwanda on a strategic partnership on sustainable raw material value chains. This review is now ongoing.
- [1] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/raw-materials-diplomacy_en
- [2] https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials/critical-raw-materials-act/board_en
- [3] https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/58035
- [4] Council Conclusions of 20 February 2023, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6631-2023-INIT/en/pdf