Critical Raw Materials (CRM): How the EU Wants to Decrease the Risk from China

By 2030, the EU wants to extract, process and recycle domestically at least 10%, 40% and 25% respectively of the strategic raw materials it consumes. No more than 65% of these rare resources should stem from a single third country. The CRM Act’s benchmarks are primarily to be achieved via financially supported strategic projects. In addition, the EU signed raw materials partnerships with nine countries to date. However, the self-reliance targets for raw materials such as rare earth metals seem unrealistic for technical and environmental reasons. Instead, the EU should enter into more partnerships with likeminded countries.