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The Director General of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, Mr Marios Panagidis, participated in the EU Competitiveness Council meeting held today in Brussels.
The discussions focused on the adoption of the General Approach of the Regulation establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products (ESPR), the orientation debate on the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and the exchange of views on "Long-term competitiveness: Next Steps."
During the discussion on the ESPR, the '27' adopted by an enhanced majority the text of the Global Approach, underlining that the new Regulation will make products more durable, reliable, reusable, upgradeable, repairable, easier to maintain, and more energy and resource efficient. In his intervention, Panagides welcomed the compromise text and advocated for a swift adoption of the proposal, as this would contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the Green Deal.
Ministers also exchanged views on the Critical Raw Materials Act, underlining that it will help ensure the EU's access to those materials that will allow it to achieve its objectives and become the first climate-neutral continent. Panagides welcomed the initiative to create a framework to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of CRM, pointing out that the only way to export metal content in Cyprus is through the use of hydrometallurgical processes, due to the low content of its reserves. Panagides agreed with the Presidency's approach underlining that the enlarged Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard will provide plenty of high quality data, which should not be left unused.
In the context of the Council's work, an informal working lunch was held in the presence of Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton and former Italian Prime Minister and former Commissioner Mario Monti, during which Ministers exchanged views on the single market. Finally, a celebration was held to mark the entry into force of the Unitary Patent system.
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