This Week in Mining — Brussels (#26, 2026)
Commission action on Hungarian mining fee; infringement package targets sand and gravel contracts; Competitiveness Council meets on critical raw materials.
July 05, 2026 to July 11, 2026
Commission action on Hungarian mining fee; infringement package targets sand and gravel contracts; Competitiveness Council meets on critical raw materials.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 📅 This Week's Calendar in Brussels
• 🇪🇺 European Commission
• 🤝 EU Council
• ✒️ EP Committee Work
This Week's Calendar in Brussels
- Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE): On July 13, the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: Amending Regulations (EU) 2016/679, (EU) 2018/1724, (EU) 2018/1725, (EU) 2023/2854 and Directives 2002/58/EC, (EU) 2022/2555 and (EU) 2022/2557 as regards the simplification of the digital legislative framework, and repealing Regulations (EU) 2018/1807, (EU) 2019/1150, (EU) 2022/868, and Directive (EU) 2019/1024 (Digital Omnibus); Chair’s announcements; Date of next meetings.
- Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE): On July 14, the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is scheduled to meet. Agenda includes: Amending Directives 2008/98/EC, 2010/75/EU, (EU) 2015/2193 and (EU) 2024/1785 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards simplification of some requirements and reduction of administrative burden; Chair’s announcements; Chair’s announcements concerning coordinators’ decisions of 24 June 2026.
European Commission
Commission sends letter of formal notice to Hungary over additional mining fee on construction materials
On 7 July 2026, the European Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Hungary (INFR(2022)4009), under Article 260 TFEU, for failing to comply with the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in case C-144/24. The ruling found Hungary in breach of Article 49 TFEU (freedom of establishment) for requiring an additional mining fee applicable to the sale of construction materials such as sand, gravel, and cement. The measure, defined in such a way as to primarily apply to non-Hungarian operators, required them to pay 90% of the difference between an official price and the actual selling price to government, restricting their economic activity. Although the CJEU declared this incompatible with EU law in January 2026, Hungary maintained the restriction under different national legislation. The Commission now gives Hungary two months to respond before potential referral back to the CJEU with a request for financial sanctions.
Commission addresses lack of transparency in Hungarian mining contract awards
The European Commission sent an additional letter of formal notice to Hungary (INFR(2025)2051) regarding the award of a contract for multiple sand and gravel mining sites. According to the Commission, the procedure breached Article 49 TFEU by lacking transparency and proper advertising, which allegedly limited the economic freedom of potential operators and unduly favoured a specific entity. The contract is unlimited in duration and follows a previous contract previously identified as non-compliant. The Commission underlined that the nature and duration of contracts for mining sites with high economic value, combined with the limited number of such deposits in Hungary, risked substantially restricting market access. Hungary has two months to address these findings.
EU Council
Competitiveness Council discusses critical raw materials and industry
EU Competitiveness ministers met informally on 9 July 2026 to address issues in the internal market and industry, focusing on the resilience and security of EU supply for critical raw materials used in mining and downstream sectors.
EP Committee Work
AGRI Committee hearing on fertiliser strategy and raw materials prices
On 10 July 2026, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) announced a hearing dedicated to the security of fertiliser supplies and rising prices of agricultural raw materials, including critical input minerals. Industry representatives from Fertilizers Europe and Argus Media participated in the first panel, while the second panel focused on enhancing farmer resilience through innovation and circularity. A European Commission representative from DG AGRI contributed to the discussions.
