New Policies for Critical Raw Materials

Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, and Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, held a press conference on the resilience of critical raw materials in the EU. The European Commission presented an Action Plan for Critical Raw Materials, the 2020 List of Critical Raw Materials, a foresight study on critical raw materials for strategic technologies and sectors from the 2030 and 2050 perspectives, and announced the creation of the European Raw Materials Alliance. The Action Plan examines current and future challenges and proposes actions to reduce Europe’s dependence on third countries, diversify supply from both primary and secondary sources, and improve resource efficiency and circularity, while promoting responsible sourcing globally. The actions will foster the transition towards a green and digital economy while simultaneously strengthening Europe’s resilience and open strategic autonomy in key technologies required for this transition.