Deep-sea mining is on the move. After years of talking, exploitation legislation is now being put in place and the first projects are on the verge of becoming operational. Based on a recent presentation given to the European Parliament we will discuss the (economic) potential of deep sea mining, the geopolitical and legal constraints as well as the environmental concerns. Participants are invited to reflect on the opportunities and challenges and to deepen our understanding from the different points of view within the group. The session is also a follow-up on the workshop on deep sea mining during the annual HCSS-TNO conference on natural resources in 2011, taking stock of all the new developments in the field during the past four years. The results of the meeting will be written down in a COE Resources Issue Brief that can be used for internal or public communication to support the debate.
About the organizers
The Centre of Expertise on Resources (COE-Resources) is a joint initiative of The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies and TNO. Its mission is to support industry and government to timely and effectively anticipate on strategic opportunities and risks related to the sustainable supply of metals, minerals and agri-food inputs that are relevant for the Dutch/European economy and society. Our focus is mainly on the geopolitical and broader international economic dimensions of the resource challenge, whilst taking relevant security and sustainability issues into account.
Participation is by invitation only.
The report of the breakfast session can be read here.