The Impact of Selected Material Flows on the Development of OECD Countries Located in Europe

industrial value chains. As global demand for raw materials grows,
basic raw materials will continue to play a key role. Global value
chains have become a dominant feature of world trade. The process
of production of goods from raw materials to the finished product,
intended for the final consumer, is carried out primarily where the
necessary professional and material prerequisites are available, at
competitive costs and quality. Although the EU has a long tradition
of mining and processing raw materials, as well as rich reserves of
aggregates and non-metallic minerals, some metals such as copper
and zinc, but also some critical raw materials. However, their use is
not optimal for various reasons, such as insufficient investment in
geological exploration and extraction, diverse and lengthy national
permitting procedures, or low public acceptance. Shortcomings in
the EU's mining, processing, recycling, refining and unbundling
capacity (e.g. in the case of lithium or rare earths) reflect a lack of
resilience and high dependence on supplies from other parts of the
world. At the same time, the crisis caused by the COVID-19
pandemic may have an impact on the further direction of industrial
policy with an effort to increase diversification and regionalization
of production processes, resp. gaining economic sovereignty in
strategic areas. Raw materials form the basis of the European
economy in order to secure jobs and competitiveness and are
essential for maintaining and improving our quality of life. Ensuring
reliable, sustainable and unhindered access to and circulation of raw
materials in the economy is therefore a growing concern within the
EU, not only regionally but also globally. It is for these reasons that
it is necessary to examine the consumption of materials in relation
to the stage of development of countries.