The European Union wants to reduce the dependence on forces like China by the end of the decade for the supply of minerals.
In the midst of growing geopolitical tensions, the “EU Decoded” examines whether the block can keep pace with competitors.
World forces rush to take on the lead in the mineral race needed to produce new technologies, such as microchips, solar panels and electric cars.
U.S. President Donald Tramp activated war powers to encourage domestic production and considers the use of economic, military and diplomatic measures to access mineral resources of Canada, Greenland and Ukraine.
China uses its partial monopoly in the market processing market to gain an advantage over geopolitical rivals.
Where in this new battlefield is the EU?
According to the EU executive, the demand for individual elements will increase abruptly in the coming decade.
For example, the needs for lithium, key for electric vehicle batteries will increase 12 times to 2030. years and 21 times to 2050.
The high dependence of the EU from individual countries for certain materials makes it vulnerable: 100% of heavy-rare natural elements (REE) comes from China, 99 percent of the borons from Turkey, and 71 percent of platinum from South Africa. China has already limited the export of some minerals to the EU, including those key for the airlines and semiconductors.
What is the law on critical raw materials?
The EU relies on the Law on Critical Raw Materials (CRMA), adopted in March last year, to prevent disruptions in mineral supply chains.
The law aims to reduce vulnerabilities through greater mineral exploitation on European soil and partnerships with “equitable” countries with resources – already signed 14 agreements, including Serbia, Australia, Greenland, Chile and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The law states 34 materials as “critical”, of which 17 of which are marked as “strategically”, including lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements.
Ambitious goals were set: EU remains 10 percent of the 40 percent and recycles 25 percent of their annual consumption of strategic raw materials by 2030. years.
“Recycling raw materials above the ground, the so-called urban mine, is an attractive option for Europe because we have relatively limited extraction capacities,” Eduardo Rigeta explained, the Tank Tank researcher CEPS.
However, recycling rates are still low due to insufficiently developed technologies, high costs and inefficient collection systems.
“However, for most of these materials, recycling rates are still relatively low. We do not have enough technologies that have reached the end of your life cycle. There are other structural problems, including recycling, underdeveloped or inefficient collection systems,” he says.
The EU is trying to overcome obstacles by reducing administrative cargoes, facilitating access to finance and shortening permits – 27 months for extraction and 15 months for processing and recycling.
Can local environmental care slow down projects?
The Commission chose 47 “strategic” projects in 13 Member States for extraction, processing and recycling of raw materials within Europe, with the aim of providing “safe and sustainable” supply.
However, the rural communities in Europe could represent a challenge, transmits Euronews.
Lithium plans in Portugal have caused strong resistance of residents and environmental organizations due to potential damage to the environment and disorders in local communities.
Similar resistance showed up in Serbia, the EU membership, where protests were erupted due to plans for opening the largest lithium mine in Europe in the fertile valley of Jadar, announced shortly after the EU’s Serbian government agreement.
Is the EU lag behind in the race?
The rules of the game change until the tramp occupies an increasingly aggressive approach in the mineral race.
The US president requires access to the mineral resources of Ukraine in exchange for military support, threatens the annexation of Canada, rich in resources, and wants to “buy” Greenland to control its raw materials.
Similar moral problems arise when the EU is signed by agreements with areas affected conflicts, where income from mineral trade funded by armed groups, encouraging human rights violations.
“Rwanda recently came to focus because the Rwand’s army supports the rebel Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Minerals are smuggled across the border in Rwanda, and then exported to Europe – known as conflict minerals,” Hogges added.
In February, the EU announced that its agreement on raw materials with Rwanda “after the revision”, was supported by Rwanda, took control of the territory of the East DRC, provoking international condemnation.
(Vijesti.ba)
