Decree n. 2011-100 creating the Committee for Strategic Metals (COMES)

The decree establishes the Comité pour les métaux stratégiques (Committee for Strategic Metals, COMES) to support the elaboration and implementation of public policy relating to critical minerals and means to secure their supply to ensure the competitiveness of the industrial sector.
The decree creates a committee which brings together stakeholders of the public and private sectors. This includes representatives from relevant ministries, specifically in charge of the economy, the industry, the environment, research, defence and foreign affairs. The committee is also representative of public agencies whose scope of work overlaps with issues related to critical minerals. Specifically, the Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières (Geological and Mining Research Bureau, BRGM), the Agence française de développement (French Agency for Development, AFD), the Agence de développement et de la maîtrise de l’énergie (Energy Development and Management Agency, ADEME), as well as the Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (French Institute for Sea Exploitation Research, IFREMER) are represented. Finally, the committee hosts representatives from the industrial private sectors such as the automobile industry and the aerospace industry. 
The decree defines the mandate of the committee. The committee’s mission is to monitor and identify critical minerals for the French and European industry. Its role is also prospective, by pinpointing research and policy gaps. The committee also supports the development of alternatives, through recycling or alternative uses. 

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