Copper is a strategic metal for Europe’s green and digital transitions, with applications ranging from renewable energy systems to electric vehicles and energy-efficient buildings. However, recent geopolitical complexities – marked by rising copper tariffs, increasing price volatility, and growing global supply chain uncertainties – have exposed Europe’s vulnerability and underscored the urgent need to accelerate domestic copper recycling. Simultaneously strengthening copper recycling and the industry’s competitiveness is now critical to securing Europe’s critical and strategic mineral supply, bolstering industrial growth, and achieving its climate goals.

While stakeholders across the copper value chain in Europe increasingly discuss and recognize common challenges – ranging from copper scrap supply bottleneck to higher costs for copper processing and scale-up, to weak demand for recycled copper, especially for the lower-grade – there have been limited dialogues on strategic, practical, and coordinated solutions. To address this gap, International Copper Association (ICA) Europe, Eurometaux and World Resources Institute (WRI) will co-host an expert roundtable to convene leading copper recycling experts in Europe across industry, policy, and research.