27. A meeting of the heads of European State Mining Authorities

The 27th Meeting of Heads of European Mining Authorities was held in Prague from September 18 to 20. It was attended by delegations from 12 countries.

The Polish delegation consisted of: The President of the Stater Mining Authority, Adam Mirek PhD, the Vice President of the State Mining Authority, Krzysztof Król PhD, the Director of the SMA’s Legal Department, Małgorzata Waksmańska, and Deputy Director of the SMA’s Mining Department, Dariusz Katan. A representative of the Polish delegation delivered a paper entitled "Competencies of mining supervision."

During this year's event, participants had the opportunity to tour the Bílina open-pit lignite mine - the second largest of its kind in the Czech Republic.

Meetings held by the Heads of European Mining Offices are part of broader sectoral cooperation in mining and geology, as well as countries cooperating between EU Member States and between the EU and its partner states. They are held periodically, once a year, and are primarily aimed at exchanging experience in the operation of mining supervisory authorities and the mining industry in various European countries.

In accordance with established custom, as in the previous years, the 27th Meeting of the Heads of European Mining Authorities ended with the signing of a Memorandum, which summarizes the meeting’s agenda. It emphasized the need for further cooperation and the promotion of the use of the mineral wealth of European countries, primarily to ensure raw material security on the European continent. The signatories also guaranteed with their signatures the exchange of information and experience in all matters related to mining activities, including environmental, health and safety issues.

It was announced that the next, 28th Meeting of Heads of European Mining Authorities in 2024 will be organized by Germany, in Saxony. The main topic of the session will be "Education, skills training and recruitment of young professionals for mining companies and authorities."