EC announces actions to increase security and sustainability of Europe's raw materials supply
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e resources, and we will continue to do so in the future.” As outlined in a 2019 US Department of Commerce (DOC) report entitled A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals, the state of the supply chain of critical materials and REEs in the United States remains vulnerable. The country’s cache of natural resources simply cannot provide a domestic source equal to the country’s growing needs for consumer electronics, electric automobiles, high-tech weaponry, and lifesaving instruments. Recent DOC, USGS, and DOE reports on critical minerals and rare earths all highlight the fact that the United States has a single REE mining and reprocessing facility—in Mountain Pass, Calif.—which had been mostly mothballed
EC announces actions to increase security and sustainability of Europe’s raw materials supply
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urrently, the coronavirus crisis is leading many parts of the world to look critically at how they organize their supply chains, especially where public safety or strategic sectors are concerned. In September, the European Commission (EC) released its “Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials,” the “2020 List of Critical Raw Materials,” and a foresight study on critical raw materials for strategic technologies and sectors from the 2030 and 2050 perspectives. The Action Plan looks at the current and future challenges and proposes actions to reduce Europe’s dependency on third countries, diversifying supply from both primary and secondary sources, and improving resource efficiency and circularity while promoting responsible sourcing worldwide. The actions will foster the EU transition toward a green and digital economy, and at the same time, bolster Europe’s resilience and open strategic autonomy in key technologies needed for such transition. The List of Critical Raw Materials has been updated to reflect the changed economic importance and supply challenges based on their industrial application. It contains 30 critical raw materials.
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Lithium, which is essential for a shift to e-mobility, has been added to the list for the first time. Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, says, “A secure and sustainable supply of raw materials is a prerequisite for a resilient economy. For e-car batteries and energy storage alone, Europe will, for instance, need up to 18 times more lithium by 2030 and up to 60 times more by 2050.” The Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials is aimed at: developing resilient value chains for EU industrial ecosystems; reducing dependency on primary critical raw materials through circular use of resources, sustainable products, and innovation; strengthening domestic sourcing of raw materials in the EU; and diversifying sourcing from third countries and removing distortions to international trade, fully respecting the EU’s international obligations. To achieve these objectives, the EC plans to establish a European Raw Materials Alliance. By bringing together all relevant stakeholders, the alliance will
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