EU Parliament to take measures to secure vital raw materials

The representatives demand closer cooperation with the United States.

The European Parliament voted by a large majority in favor of a package of measures to secure so-called vital raw materials such as lithium and silicon. MPs in Strasbourg spoke on Thursday in favor of diversifying supply chains and reducing dependence on individual countries. They also called on the European Union Commission to start negotiations with the United States on the supply of vital raw materials.

In the future, no more than 65% of the EU’s needs for raw materials of particular importance should be provided by third countries. By 2030, this will apply to a list of 16 so-called strategic raw materials, including lithium, cobalt and silicon. The European Union must be able to cover at least ten percent of its needs for vital materials through its own production.

According to the draft law, a total of 34 substances are classified as critical raw materials, and the EU Commission wants to monitor their supply chains closely in the future. In addition, a higher proportion of raw materials should be recycled in the EU. Parliament also wants to promote research into possible alternatives.

Bureaucratic hurdles faced by companies processing or recycling critical raw materials in the EU must be reduced. Parliamentary Rapporteur Nicola Beer (Free Democratic Party) explained that the project creates the appropriate conditions for “targeted economic incentives for private sector investors aimed at European production and recycling.”

Members of the European Parliament adopted the proposal by a majority of 515 votes, 34 votes in favour, and 28 abstentions. Member states had already agreed on a common position in June and, among other things, added other raw materials to the list. The draft law is now entering into what are called tripartite negotiations.

In its resolution, Parliament also called for closer cooperation with the United States. In her State of the Union address on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already announced that she will hold a meeting of the so-called Critical Raw Materials Club with several third countries this year.

European Union countries want to achieve greater independence from China and other countries through the new legislation. The European Union currently imports rare earth elements and magnesium almost exclusively from China. Biomaterials are needed for batteries and semiconductors, for example, and play a crucial role in the transition to renewable energies and digital technologies. (Abba)