María José Jurado, researcher from GEO3BCN-CSIC, has been appointed by the European Commission as a new member of the Operational expert group of the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials. Jurado will be a member of this working group on behalf of the CSIC until next 2023.

According to Jurado, this appointment involves taking part in the development and assesment of «several issues related with raw materials at European Union level». The researcher will take part in several meetings, discussions, and working groups. As scheduled, the Operational expert group will begin its activity in the following weeks.

Jurado was also a member of another expert group of the EIP on Raw Materials until 2020. “It is a new step linked to the start of Horizon Europe, and to the new challenges and goals of this funding program in the raw materials sector”, says Jurado.

The European Innovation Partnership on raw materials is a stakeholder platform that brings together representatives from industry, public services, academia, and NGOs. Its mission is to provide high-level guidance to the European Commission, EU countries, and private actors on innovative approaches to the challenges related to raw materials. There are two working groups included in the EIP: the High LevelSteering Group (HLSG) and the Operational Group (OG). Jurado is the new member of the OG.

The mission of the Operational expert group of the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials is to provide advice to the High-level steering group (HLSG) and to convert the strategic implementation plan into tasks and actions. The Operational expert group is aimed also to assist the Commission concerning the implementation of existing Union legislation, programs and policies.