ABSTRACT
The European Union's (EU) ambition to lead the green and digital transition based on domestic production of the necessary technologies rests on access to critical raw materials (CRMs). The material requirements of products for renewable energy, electro mobility, and digitalisation are substantial and are expected to trigger a demand surge for raw materials critical to these products. The EU is highly dependent on imports of CRMs, making its supply highly concentrated and vulnerable to disruption. This exposes the EU to geopolitical risks and underlines the urgency of supply diversification and investment in recycling capacities. Ensuring access to specific minerals from third countries thus remains crucial, but requires more than market access: it calls for just and sustainable global partnerships that avoid reproducing extractive asymmetries and take into account the shift towards a circular economy as a key component of the twin transition.
