Critical Raw Materials’ consist of the most economically important raw materials with a high supply risk.
Access to resources is a strategic security issue for Europe’s ambition to achieve the Green Deal.
Economic importance considers the allocation of raw materials according to industrial applications. The supply risk concerns the concentration at country level with respect to global raw material production and supply in the EU, the governance of supplier countries, including environmental aspects, the contribution of secondary raw materials, the EU’s dependence on imports and trade restrictions in third countries.
We are witnessing a global race for the supply and recycling of critical raw materials, precisely because they are now a geopolitical tool.
In response, a European law on critical raw materials will be proposed with the aim of changing the balance of power in these supply chains.
The focal points of the law will be:
– Strategic applications: to identify the critical raw materials that will be most relevant for transition and defence needs.
– The establishment of a network of European agencies, which through synergies can develop monitoring and stress testing capabilities to assist industry in preventing risks of price increases or shortages.
– A resilient supply chain to attract more private investment.
– Ensuring a strong and sustainable level playing field within the European single market, with the aim of having strategic storage to support in the event of supply disruptions and market turbulence, and to promote secondary raw materials.
The EU Commission assumes that targets could be set, such as that at least 30 per cent of lithium and 20 per cent of rare earth elements should be recovered in the EU by 2030.
In this regard, MISE and MITE have initiated a technical round table for the development of a national strategy for Critical Raw Materials, in which Matrec CEO Marco Capellini participates as materials expert.

Source: matrec