The Critical Raw Materials Act adopted in 2024 (‘CRMA’) was intended to ensure an adequate supply of strategic raw materials for the EU, but it does not appear to be up to the challenge. On Saturday 25 October in Berlin, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that her departments were working on “a new RESourceEU plan”, designed to ensure that European companies have access to alternative sources of critical raw materials. This is a direct response to the restrictions imposed by China on exports of rare earths, gallium and germanium.
“This is a departure from Europe’s traditional caution, but the world we face today values speed, not hesitation”, said Ms von der Leyen.
RESourceEU should enable joint purchasing and the creation of stocks in Europe. A public consultation on setting up a critical raw materials centre to coordinate both joint purchasing and storage will soon be announced, said European Commission spokesman Thomas Régnier. The legislative proposal to establish the centre should then be published in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Commission’s work programme.
RESourceEU will also stimulate investment in projects for the production, processing and recycling of critical raw materials in Europe.
Thomas Régnier stated that this new initiative, which should be published before the end of the year, complements the act on critical raw materials (see EUROPE 13143/2).
The Commission also plans to “accelerate work” on partnerships on raw materials with strategic countries. The President of the Commission cited Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chile and Greenland. These are all countries with which the Commission has already signed memorandums of understanding on critical raw materials.
Talks with China continue. On Thursday, the European Commission will receive a delegation of Chinese experts to try to find solutions to the export licences for rare earth technologies that Beijing is imposing (see EUROPE 13738/15). At the bilateral summit in July, the EU and China agreed to establish a dialogue on export controls. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)