Following a proposal elaborated in our Study on Rare Earths and Their Recycling (see http://www.resourcefever.org/detail/items/study-on-rare-earths-and-their-recycling.html) DG Enterprise and Industry has launched the European Rare Earths Competency Network (ERECON) (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/raw-materials/erecon/index_en.htm).

Our colleague Matthias Buchert is nominated to be a member of the steering committee of ERECON. The European Commission is bringing together experts to form the European Rare Earths Competency Network that will look at ways of addressing the issue of supply security. ERECON is guided by a Steering Committee that sets the agenda of the Working Group meetings of rare earth experts.

Each Working Group has a different mandate:

• Working Group I: focuses on the primary production of rare earths in the EU,

• Working Group II: looks at resource efficiency and recycling and

• Working Group III: looks on trends and challenges.

Sub-groups may also be formed to discuss more specialist subjects. ERECON's activities are coordinated by a Secretariat based in Brussels.

Our colleague Gerhard Schmidt is nominated to be a member of the Working Group I. More information about the Working Group I: Opportunities and road blocks for primary supply of rare earths in Europe can be found on the ERECON-Homepage of the European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/raw-materials/erecon/expertise/working-group-1_en.htm.

Also a presentation given by Gerhard Schmidt on the Working Group Meeting in January 2014 can be found here: http://www.resourcefever.org/detail/items/environmental-impacts-of-ree-mining-and-milling.html