Larnaca will become the European headquarters for the critical sector of raw materials and the mining industry next week. On May 28 and 29, 2026, Larnaca will host two leading European events, the Entrepreneurs' Forum and the Aggregates Europe General Assembly, bringing together the cream of the crop of European industry, EU officials, scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.
The events, which are under the auspices of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, bring to the fore the pressing question of the continent's energy and digital transition. At the same time, they highlight the vital need of Cyprus, as an island state, to ensure long-term self-sufficiency and unhindered access to its own mineral resources, limiting the unbearable economic and environmental costs of imports.
On May 28, the Entrepreneurs' Forum entitled "Why Do We Need Minerals?" will take place. ("Why do we need minerals?") which will be addressed by the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou, while on May 29 the General Assembly of Aggregates Europe - the European aggregates association - will follow, to which the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, will address a greeting.
Of particular importance is the fact that the Forum is not only organized by Aggregates Europe and the Pancyprian Association of Quarries, but is also co-organized with the participation of Euromines, Eurogypsum and the Association of Mining Enterprises of Greece.
The central message of the events is clear: if Europe really wants to ensure strategic autonomy, resilience and competitiveness, then it must ensure access to sustainable and reliable raw materials.
Raw materials underpin almost every aspect of modern life and the economy: from infrastructure, housing and transport to the green transition, renewable energy, batteries, defence, digital technology and artificial intelligence. Without fossil raw materials, there can be no energy transition or industrial development.
The issue becomes even more important for Cyprus, as an island member state of the European Union. Cyprus, due to its geographical location and the nature of the materials required for construction and infrastructure, cannot rely on imports of raw materials and especially aggregates in large volumes. Aggregates, such as sand, gravel and crushed gravel, are materials of low value per tonne but extremely high transport costs. Their transport by sea in large quantities would have a huge economic and environmental cost, directly affecting the competitiveness of the economy, the cost of building infrastructure and housing projects, but also the country's security of supply.
For this very reason, Cyprus needs to live mainly on its own mineral resources reserves and ensure that there is long-term and unhindered access to domestic mineral resources. Rational management of deposits, proper spatial planning and timely licensing are critical conditions not only for development, but also for the strategic resilience of the country.
The Entrepreneurs' Forum will bring together key figures from the European Commission, industry, academia, representatives of the EIT Raw Materials, critical minerals experts, economists and leading figures of the European mining industry.
The Cypriot president of Aggregates Europe, Antonis Antoniou Latouros, said that "Europe cannot talk about strategic autonomy and competitiveness without ensuring access to the raw materials necessary for every sector of the economy and daily life. Raw materials are not part of the problem – they are part of the solution."
