The European Commission is preparing to launch a sweeping initiative to build emergency stockpiles of critical minerals, in a move to safeguard the bloc’s supply chains from mounting geopolitical and cyber threats, according to a draft document seen by the Financial Times.
The proposal advises EU member states to accelerate stockpiling of rare earth minerals, permanent magnets, and other vital components used in energy, defence, and communications infrastructure. The draft highlights a “rapidly deteriorating risk landscape” marked by rising geopolitical tensions, cyberattacks, and climate-related disruptions.
“Europe must boost its resilience,” the document reads, urging coordination on backup stocks of not just industrial materials, but also food, medicine, cable repair modules, and nuclear fuel. The Commission warns that underwater communication systems and gas pipelines remain particularly vulnerable to sabotage.
This marks a notable policy shift in Brussels, which has historically focused on free market mechanisms to ensure supply. The war in Ukraine and ongoing tensions with Russia have exposed serious vulnerabilities in Europe’s strategic reserves. Last month, Germany’s chief of defence warned that Russia could potentially target an EU member within four years, intensifying calls for preparedness.
The Commission is set to publish the finalized strategy next week. It follows March’s announcement of the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, which encouraged citizens to stock up on essentials and urged governments to build national reserves of critical goods.
The urgency is also driven by what the document calls “limited common understanding” among member states about what essential goods are needed to respond to major crises.
