{"id":48169,"date":"2021-11-01T14:10:17","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T13:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/prodotti-di-base\/"},"modified":"2024-07-22T12:52:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T10:52:21","slug":"prodotti-di-base","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/politica-estera-e-cooperazione-allo-sviluppo\/politica_europea\/politica-commerciale-internazionale\/prodotti-di-base\/","title":{"rendered":"Commodities"},"content":{"rendered":"

COMMODITIES: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS\u2019 ACTIVITIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION<\/p>\n

Raw materials, also called commodities, are processed natural substances or minerals used in a manufacturing process to supply finished products. Raw materials are of vital importance for the European Union\u2019s economy and particularly crucial for developing modern environmentally friendly technologies.<\/p>\n

Over the last few years, serious concerns have emerged about the volatility of commodity markets, also due to the increasing financialisation of the economy. Agricultural commodities, which were originally considered non-priority compared to energy commodities, are gaining in importance due to the strong upward trend in food commodities as well, with the possible exacerbation of food crises that are bound to have an impact at the social and political levels. Furthermore, the growing need for commodities in emerging Asian economies is affecting the adoption of export restrictive measures on the part of some of those countries.<\/p>\n

In order to tackle the aforementioned problems, the European Union is defining new strategies for the supply of raw materials that concern the following areas: improving transparency and access to markets; implementing research and innovation activities to stimulate efficiency in the use of raw materials; developing cooperation with producing countries; improving the sustainable supply of commodities within the EU.<\/p>\n

At the international level, the idea of specific Agreements, with the aim of regulating world commodity markets, was particularly developed within the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), a Geneva-based organisation which is the international forum of reference for cooperation between producing and consuming countries.<\/p>\n

For decades the main instrument to avoid undesirable fluctuations in commodity prices was the \u201cregulating stock\u201d. Since the 1990s the Agreements have become an instrument of international cooperation mainly designed to strengthening the quality of products and their sustainable development, thus continuing to be of primary importance for both producing and consuming countries.<\/p>\n

Considering the vital interest in the supply of raw materials for European industry, the EU is particularly active in contributing at international level to the definition of raw material strategies by participating in the works of the various commodity organisations.<\/p>\n

Given Italy\u2019s importance in the world commodities market, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ensures Italy’s participation in the aforementioned organisations, including the preparation and development of EU\u2019s common positions in these organisations through the definition and representation of Italy’s position in the PROBA Working Group within the European Council.<\/p>\n

In order to disseminate the activities and the information produced by the PROBA bodies, consisting of statistics, sectoral studies, regulations, this section contains the files of the individual bodies, links to their websites, as well as statistical data sheets, contributions to the analysis of commodity data, news on the bodies\u2019 meetings, etc.<\/p>\n

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Contacts<\/p>\n

Dott. Lucio LOIERO \u2013 HEAD of OFFICE 4 of DGUE – DCPCI<\/p>\n

tel. +39 06\/36915083 e-mail: lucio.loiero@esteri.it<\/p>\n

D.ssa Tiziana Vecchio \u2013 Head of the PROBA Section\u2013 tel 06\/36913230 tiziana.vecchio@esteri.it<\/a><\/p>\n

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International Commodity Bodies (ICBs) are the following:<\/p>\n