EU industry chief Stéphane Séjourné has warned that the bloc must accelerate its efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese critical raw materials, stressing that large-scale recycling will be essential. Speaking at a conference in Brussels, Séjourné highlighted that under the Critical Raw Materials Act, the EU aims to meet 25% of its demand for key minerals through recycling by 2030 — a major challenge given that less than 1% of rare earths are currently recycled in Europe.
Séjourné also called for faster deal-making on critical raw materials, arguing that the EU cannot afford to wait for lengthy multi-year trade agreements. He noted that EU production of gallium and rare earth permanent magnets is expected to increase sixfold by 2030, but that progress must speed up across all 17 strategic materials identified by the bloc.
On regulation, Séjourné acknowledged that overly complex permitting rules have caused too many mining and processing projects to be abandoned, and said simplification is urgently needed. He also cautioned that companies must revisit their procurement strategies, as a recent U.S.–China “stop-the-clock” agreement delaying further export restrictions on rare earths is unlikely to last long. The commissioner is expected to present the EU’s new economic security doctrine and resource package on December 3.
