New Third Way and IRMA Conclude Regional Roundtable Series on Critical Raw Materials in Tirana

New Third Way (Novi treći put) and the US-based Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) successfully hosted an expert roundtable in Tirana, focusing on critical raw materials and their strategic implications for the Western Balkans. Supported by the Open Society Foundations Western Balkans, this gathering served as the third event in our regional project series.

The discussion brought together key experts to evaluate how evolving global and European raw material strategies intersect with the economic and environmental landscape of the region.

Key Discussion Themes and Insights

The conference addressed several priority areas, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, the emerging European regulatory context, critical raw material (CRM) recycling, and industrial waste recovery.

New Third Way team members Dimitrije Milić and Mijat Kostić moderated the discussion and presented core findings from our recently published regional study. Participants highlighted the importance of implementing rigorous ESG frameworks and leveraging waste-recovery technologies to build sustainable, high-value local supply chains.

Next Steps and Policy Recommendations

With the roundtable series in Belgrade, Skopje, and Tirana now complete, the project moves into its final phase. Insights gathered across all three events will directly inform a set of policy recommendations aimed at supporting sustainable governance and strategic integration for the Western Balkans.