1. Welcomes the Commission Communication entitled "Tackling the challenges in Commodity markets and on raw materials" (COM(2011)0025) and in particular its broad focus on raw and recovered raw materials from mineral resources and biotic resources, its emphasis on resource efficiency and recycling, and its recognition of the importance of urban mining as a valuable source for retrieving, i.e. re-use, upcycling and recycling raw materials, and its determination to look at all three pillars of this broad challenge, namely assuring a fair and sustainable supply of raw materials from international markets, fostering sustainable supply within ...[+++]the EU and promoting resource efficiency and recycling; notes that recycling often results in downgrading the value of the material, and that more focus should be given to the upcycling of materials which would render a higher value to the retrieved material; points out the potential of re-use as a separate category, to extend the life of products and urges the Commission to develop re-use notably through its ecodesign and waste policies; regrets, however, the lack of proposals for concrete measures by the Commission and cautions that, without such measures, the stated goals are not likely to be reached;

UNCLOS also contains rules for the use of living and non-living resources and the protection of the environment.

In spite of harsh conditions, melting of ice and new technologies will gradually increase access to Arctic living and non-living resources as well as to new navigation routes.

develop benchmark criteria for sustainable management and harvesting of biotic resources (e.g. wood, fish, agricultural products);

3) develop benchmark criteria for sustainable management and harvesting of biotic resources (eg wood, fish, agricultural products);

Biological resources: includes genetic resources, organisms or parts thereof, populations, or any other biotic component of ecosystems with actual or potential use or value for humanity.