21:11 25 November 2021
The EU should secure its own supply of critical raw materials
To boost an autonomous and sustainable EU supply of materials needed to produce key technologies, MEPs call for diversification, more recycling, and domestic sourcing.
Critical raw materials (CRMs) are crucial for producing a broad range of goods and technologies. The transition towards digital, highly energy-efficient, and climate-neutral European economies will lead to a significantly higher demand for CRMs. The technologies requiring them, such as batteries and electric engines, will be key to achieving the goals under the Paris Agreement.
Parliament calls for an EU strategy to boost Europe’s strategic autonomy and resilience regarding the supply of CRMs, by creating a secondary market for recycled resources containing these materials. Under the Parliament’s proposals, more CRMs will have to be sourced from within the EU and its neighborhood, sources for these materials will need to be diversified, and more research should focus on sustainable alternatives to these scarce materials.
“We have a consistent and ambitious package that tackles the urgency of stable and sustainable critical raw materials supply chains while at the same time ensuring Europe’s competitiveness and jobs,” Hildegard Bentelesaid, lead MEP (EPP, DE), said.
She added that the EU must build a political framework to enable sustainable mining in Europe and in non-EU countries.
(WBJ)
