This European Commission The European Union (EU) wants its countries to have enough strategic raw materials for the transition “green” technologies like electric car and provide independence from third countries such as Chinese. To do so, it will propose this Tuesday that it can remove “at least 10%” of the EU by 2030. raw materials you consume, process 40% of what you consume annually and recycle at least 15%. “They are the soul of the clean economy” and “we need them to meet our ambitious decarbonization targets,” said the European Commission president from Canada this week. Ursula von der Leyen.
The urgency to act on this problem is great. “The risk of supply disruptions increases in the context of rising geopolitical tensions and competition for resources. Given this trend, measures need to be taken to ensure access to a secure and sustainable supply of strategic raw materials in order to maintain the EU’s economic resilience and strategic autonomy. March 14 to the college of commissioners. The draft does not list the raw materials considered strategic, but will include those that are strategically important to the Union economy and may be at high risk of supply disruption.
Committed to acting at all stages of the bidding process, From extraction of raw materials to recycling and recycling improve the circularity of the economy. To this end, it establishes a framework for the selection and execution of “strategic projects”, both within and outside the EU, that will benefit from faster clearances and additional funding and will be selected by a body of Commissioners. A server for the member state.
looking for a partner
The plan also raises the need to diversify supply sources. liquefied natural gas– To reduce Europe’s dependence on a single third country, for this purpose trade agreements and strengthen the ability to predict future risks. Concerns that some third countries are highly dependent on supply are not new, but have increased in the 2000s. covid pandemic. In 2021 Beijing decided to cut magnesium supplies to the EU, which at the time represented 95%. To prevent this situation from recurring, Brussels wants to set a target such that by 2030 a third country cannot, at any stage of the process, provide more than 70% of the Union’s annual consumption of each strategic raw material.
China produces 98% of European supply rare earth elements. “Europe needs to eliminate this dependency and that’s why Europe is trying to cooperate with reliable partners,” he said. lithium ion batteries. Von der Leyen, who has since moved to the United States, also hopes to collaborate with Washington on critical raw materials to facilitate European companies’ European access to US green subsidies.
clean technologies
To be precise, the critical raw materials law will be accompanied by a second regulatory proposal to spur on Tuesday. “zero network industry”. This is Europe’s response to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)’s 369,000 million subsidy plan, which has created enormous discontent among 27 countries. Possible flight of European companies They crossed the Atlantic in search of more favorable conditions for establishing their “green” project. “Some of the Union’s main trading partners have adopted policies of substantial economic support to their companies, including those operating in the clean industry. Among them is the United States. Inflation Reduction Law; Japan with the Green Transformation program; India with the Production Linked Incentives program that promotes the production of photovoltaic solar panels […] and batteries; and the People’s Republic of China” examines the Commission.
The new legal framework to be presented by the European Commission aims to go along the same lines: support and strengthen the clean technology ecosystem in the EU by simplifying and accelerating development permits over the 2030 horizon; nine key sectors shorter authorization processes and funding would be appropriate. According to a draft that was distributed last week and is still subject to change, the list of strategic technologies includes: photovoltaic solar panels, both onshore and offshore wind turbines, heat pumps, batteries, electrolyzers, renewable hydrogen technologies, biomethane, carbon dioxide capture and storage, grid technologies and nuclear technology.
Purpose in accordance with the raw material plan, provide strategic autonomy, independence from third countries and the guarantee of sufficient European production to meet 40% of the EU’s annual need for these technologies. For example, in the case of batteries and wind turbines, Brussels will offer to guarantee a generation capacity of 85% of annual needs by 2030 (40% for solar panels, 50% for electrolysers and renewable hydrogen needs, and 60% for heat pumps). ).