Natural aggregates in EU – the production in 1980–2011

The examination of the amount of the natural aggregates production in the European Union countries in the last decade was the aim of this research. In the modern history of development of natural aggregates production in European countries we can distinguish two major period. First period includes time before the economical crisis (up to year 2005). The second period correspond to economical crisis after year 2008. The annual production of aggregate in Europe is around 3 billionMg valued ca. 20 billion euro. The majority of aggregates (around 91 %) is derived from natural deposits. Crushed aggregates constitute around 50% and sand&gravel aggregates about 41%. The remaining amount is made up artificial aggregates (around 2%), recycled aggregates (around 5%) and marine aggregates around 2%). The aggregates industry in Europe includes around 17 000 companies which extract around 29 000 open pit mines. This extraction chain gives around 280 000 workplaces. The conducted analysis has shown that the quantity of produced aggregates in individual countries presents changeable tendency. It has been increasing and decreasing in the EU and UEPG countries, but in most of them the tendency of produced aggregates has stayed on the stable level. However the picture had been disturbed by the world economic crisis. After 2008 the production of aggregates in the majority of European countries decreased and this tendency lasts still, though with various intensity. Nevertheless, Poland distinguished itself with systematically growing production of aggregates (till 2011). The average per capita production in Europe in 2011 was around 5.8 Mg/per capita. Comparing to year 2006 (ca. 7.0 Mg/per capita) the production decreased by about 17%. In Poland in years 2006-2011 the aggregates per capita production increased from 4.4 Mg up to around 9.1Mg. i.e. by about 107%. Year 2011 had the main influence on this trend - aggregates production amounted to around 345 million Mg (increase by about 36.9% comparing to year 2010).