The European Union yesterday presented a draft regulation on critical raw materials. Objective: extract more minerals on European soil and relaunch the refining industry to secure EU supplies.
Scalded by its extreme dependence on Russia for its supply of fossil energy, the European Union wants to avoid tomorrow reproducing the same scenario with a crisis of cobalt, nickel or even lithium. “ Security, without these critical raw materials, no longer exists in the age of climate change. We need them like we need hospitals and schools “, explain several MEPs who signed a platform in The world Wednesday March 14.
The President of the European Commission shared her concerns with Joe Biden last week. Americans and Europeans have announced that they want to work together to reduce their dependence on China, by developing supply chains with their “trusted partners”.
10% European minerals
For example, the EU currently imports more than 90% of its magnesium consumption and 86% of its rare earth needs from China, according to Christian Hocquard co-author of the book Objectif Lithium. For 14 of the 27 critical substances currently identified, it depends 100% on suppliers who are not European, according to the German Institute for Economic Research.
The objective of the new framework, presented yesterday, is that by 2030, 10% of critical raw materials are extracted on European soil, a realistic objective according to the expert Didier Julienne, president of Commodities & Resources who believes that Europe could even do better, because she has critical metal depositsactionable ics needed “. Moreover, Europeans no longer want to be 80 or 90% dependent on a third country for a strategic raw material. They set themselves a threshold of dependence on a country of 65% maximum.
Refine and recycle more in Europe
The other major industrial challenge is that of transformation: 40% of critical raw materials will have to be refined in European factories by 2030, and 15% from recycling.
The European Union plans to simplify and speed up permit procedures for industrial establishments. But also to simplify procedures for extraction projects.
This new European dynamic seems to have already taken shape in several countries of the Union. Prospecting or deposit production projects are multiplying, whether in France for lithium or in Finland for cobalt and for other minerals necessary for the manufacture of electric batteries.