MINEX Forum

Tag: ReSourceEU

  • REsourceEU Puts Europe’s Critical Minerals Strategy Into Action With Early Molybdenum and Lithium Backing

    REsourceEU Puts Europe’s Critical Minerals Strategy Into Action With Early Molybdenum and Lithium Backing

    Europe’s newly launched €3-billion REsourceEU funding package marks a decisive shift in the continent’s approach to securing resilient, competitive supply chains for critical and strategic raw materials. The first wave of support targets a select group of molybdenum and lithium projects, signalling that Brussels is moving beyond policy blueprints toward tangible industrial capacity.

    As reported by euromining.news, these early selections demonstrate that the EU’s critical raw materials agenda is entering an execution phase, focused on easing bottlenecks in alloy production, battery manufacturing and clean-technology deployment.

    Molybdenum moves into the strategic spotlight
    While it attracts far less attention than battery metals, molybdenum is essential to Europe’s industrial backbone. As a key alloying element in high-performance steels, it underpins defence manufacturing, energy infrastructure, petrochemicals and advanced engineering.

    Europe’s heavy reliance on imported molybdenum leaves these sectors exposed to geopolitical risk and price volatility. By prioritising European molybdenum projects under REsourceEU, the Commission is acknowledging that strategic vulnerability extends well beyond lithium and rare earths. Industrial resilience depends on securing the full spectrum of critical alloying materials that modern manufacturing requires.

    Lithium funding reinforces battery-chain ambitions
    Lithium remains central to Europe’s push to build a competitive battery ecosystem. Conversion plants across Germany, France, Portugal and the Nordic region are racing to scale production of battery-grade lithium chemicals, aiming to establish domestic midstream hubs in a market still dominated by fragmented and geopolitically sensitive global supply chains.

    REsourceEU funding is expected to reduce financing risk, unlock delayed investments and accelerate project timelines. This support is arriving at a critical moment, as European gigafactory capacity expands rapidly and automakers seek stable, low-carbon lithium supply.

    From policy vision to industrial reality
    The broader ambition of REsourceEU is to translate Europe’s raw-materials strategy into operational infrastructure. As highlighted in recent euromining.news analysis, long-term industrial competitiveness now hinges on secure, diversified and environmentally responsible material flows.

    By backing early leaders in molybdenum and lithium development, the EU is sending a clear signal: Europe intends to anchor strategic materials production at home rather than rely on volatile external suppliers. The challenge now lies in delivery. Projects must still overcome permitting hurdles, secure long-term offtake agreements and reach commercial scale.

    As construction advances and policy support deepens, euromining.news will continue to track both progress and remaining gaps to assess whether Europe’s strategic-materials ambitions translate into lasting industrial strength.

  • EU Launches RESourceEU Action Plan to Cut Critical Mineral Dependencies and Fast-Track Strategic Projects

    EU Launches RESourceEU Action Plan to Cut Critical Mineral Dependencies and Fast-Track Strategic Projects

    The European Commission has adopted its RESourceEU Action Plan, a sweeping package of policy, regulatory and financing measures aimed at reducing the bloc’s reliance on external suppliers of critical raw materials while strengthening Europe’s competitiveness across key industrial sectors. The plan builds on the recently enacted Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and responds to escalating geopolitical tensions, supply risks and the growing need for stable access to materials essential for electric vehicles, aerospace, defence, industrial machinery, AI chips and data centres.

    A central feature of RESourceEU is the acceleration of strategic projects through streamlined permitting, regulatory reform and new derisking instruments. The Commission indicated that these measures could halve Europe’s most significant supply dependencies by 2029. Up to €3 billion will be mobilised over the next 12 months to support projects capable of delivering new supply in the near term. Early beneficiaries include Vulcan Energy’s lithium-extraction project in Germany and Greenland Resources’ Malmbjerg molybdenum project, which EU officials say could supply all European defence-sector molybdenum needs while meeting a quarter of total EU demand.

    Beginning in early 2026, Brussels will establish a European Critical Raw Materials Centre, responsible for providing market intelligence, coordinating financing across public and private partners, managing portfolios of strategic projects, and supporting joint purchasing and stockpiling to protect the EU market from supply shocks and political interference. A complementary Raw Materials Platform will aggregate industrial demand, help secure offtake agreements and facilitate collective procurement. A pilot EU-wide stockpiling mechanism is expected to be operational the same year.

    The Commission will also push to expand the bloc’s recycling capabilities. From early 2026, export restrictions will apply to permanent-magnet scrap and waste, with similar measures for aluminium—and potentially copper—now under review. Amendments to the CRMA will introduce additional labelling requirements and incentives for using recycled pre-consumer magnet waste.

    RESourceEU also includes measures to reduce Europe’s dependence on fertilisers derived from critical minerals, with an EU fertiliser and nutrient-recycling strategy due by mid-2026.

    Internationally, the EU plans to intensify cooperation with its 15 existing strategic raw-material partners, the newest being South Africa. Negotiations with Brazil will begin shortly, while dedicated investment frameworks are being advanced with Ukraine, the Western Balkans and the Southern Neighbourhood. Through the Global Gateway initiative, the EU will co-invest in mining and processing projects across emerging markets, supported by broader coordination through the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance and the G20 Critical Minerals Framework.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first outlined RESourceEU at the 2024 Berlin Global Dialogue, describing the initiative as essential to safeguarding the EU’s industrial base amid the “weaponisation” of critical raw materials by dominant suppliers.

    Industry leaders have welcomed the plan, noting its long-awaited focus on early-stage financing, faster permitting and supply-chain diversification. Rock Tech Lithium CEO Mirco Wojnarowicz said the initiative sends “a clear signal from Brussels: Europe wants control over its raw-materials supply back – and now,” calling the Commission’s recognition of lithium’s strategic importance crucial for the bloc’s energy and digital future. He added that RESourceEU provides strong momentum for the company’s Guben lithium converter in Brandenburg, set to become Europe’s first commercial lithium-hydroxide refinery with a planned output of 24,000 t/y.

  • EU Prepares New RESourceEU Strategy to Secure Critical Raw Materials and Reduce Dependence on China

    EU Prepares New RESourceEU Strategy to Secure Critical Raw Materials and Reduce Dependence on China

    The European Union is preparing to unveil a new economic security package next week, with a central component focused on safeguarding access to critical raw materials needed for clean technology and advanced industries. The initiative, known as RESourceEU, will form the bloc’s latest strategy to diversify supplies of essential inputs such as lithium, copper and nickel, and to reduce reliance on third-country suppliers — particularly China, which continues to dominate global clean-tech value chains and has tightened export controls on key materials.

    Modelled after the EU’s REPowerEU energy programme, RESourceEU is being developed against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and shifting global competition. The European Commission plans to use the strategy to forge new partnerships with resource-rich countries including Australia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and others, strengthening supply chains through long-term cooperation agreements.

    Recycling is set to play a central role. Brussels aims to significantly expand the EU’s capacity to recover critical materials from products reaching end-of-life, reducing the need for primary extraction. This dovetails with the Critical Raw Materials Act, which sets ambitious 2030 benchmarks: 10% of EU consumption of strategic minerals must come from domestic extraction, 40% from domestic processing and 25% from recycling. While many industry observers question whether these targets are achievable in time, they have nonetheless prompted European manufacturers to rethink business models and strengthen sourcing resilience.

    Additional EU initiatives are feeding into the strategy — from state aid tools supporting cross-border projects, to satellite-based exploration programmes designed to identify new raw material deposits. Financial support for battery manufacturing across Europe is also helping build internal value chains.

    Beyond Europe’s borders, the EU’s Global Gateway programme is funding major infrastructure and resource projects, particularly in Africa, with the intention of boosting local development while also ensuring stable supply routes for the EU. However, critics warn that the approach risks echoing historical patterns of extraction that disproportionately benefited Europe. EU officials insist the new strategy will prioritise equitable partnerships and avoid repeating colonial-era dynamics.

    RESourceEU is expected to outline a broad framework combining supply diversification, strategic investment, recycling expansion and international cooperation — all aimed at ensuring that Europe remains competitive and secure in an increasingly contested global market for critical raw materials.

  • EU Steps Up Critical Raw Materials Strategy as New RESourceEU Programme Targets Reduced Reliance on China

    EU Steps Up Critical Raw Materials Strategy as New RESourceEU Programme Targets Reduced Reliance on China

    The European Union is intensifying efforts to secure reliable access to the critical raw materials essential for clean technologies, energy security, and industrial competitiveness. Although China continues to dominate global refining and export of key materials such as rare earths, the EU has begun taking concrete steps to diversify supply and strengthen domestic capabilities—yet experts warn significantly more must be done to ensure long-term resilience.

    The 2024 Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) set the roadmap. It aims to bolster domestic mining, refining, and recycling while cutting dependence on any single external supplier. By 2030, the EU targets meeting 10% of its annual consumption through extraction, 40% via processing, and 15% through recycling. The CRMA also limits dependence on a single non-EU country to no more than 65% of supply for any critical raw material.

    Since its adoption, the EU has begun executing several key actions. In March 2025, the Commission selected 47 strategic projects for fast-track permitting, financing support, and priority access to buyers. A second round of selections will take place in January 2026. Member States are also required to strengthen monitoring of supply chain vulnerabilities and develop national resource plans.

    On the global stage, the EU has signed new raw material partnerships with Australia, Uzbekistan, Serbia, and Norway, with further collaboration planned with Greenland. Additional bilateral deals—such as Germany’s partnership with Canada—reinforce the diversification effort under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.

    Europe is also ramping up its processing capabilities. Neo Performance Materials recently opened a rare earth magnet factory in Estonia, the first of its kind in Europe, serving critical industries including automotive manufacturing and wind energy. Rare earth magnets are essential for permanent-magnet generators widely used in wind turbines due to their compactness and high performance.

    Recycling is another pillar of the CRMA. Member States must adopt national measures to improve collection and recycling of waste streams rich in critical raw materials, turning them into secondary supply sources.

    Building on these initiatives, Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné is preparing to unveil RESourceEU — a new strategy designed to strengthen EU purchasing power and reduce exposure to global supply risks. The programme includes a joint purchasing mechanism and strategic stockpiling centre for critical raw materials, enabling Member States to pool demand and negotiate better access conditions.

    RESourceEU is a direct response to rising geopolitical tensions and recent trade measures. China introduced export controls on rare earths and magnets earlier this year following U.S. tariffs, requiring foreign companies to obtain special licences. Although China has agreed to suspend some of the most restrictive measures for one year following negotiations with the United States, many controls—particularly on heavy rare earths—remain in effect and will continue to apply to EU imports.

    While the wind sector may avoid immediate disruption as long as light rare earths remain unaffected, the episode underscores Europe’s strategic vulnerability. Permanent magnets used in many modern turbines remain heavily dependent on Chinese supply chains.

    “The EU talks a good game on critical raw materials and has some good plans. It’s crucial they now execute,” said WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson. He stressed the importance of accelerating extraction and processing from alternative sources, adding that the RESourceEU plan “must translate into new action and increased urgency.”

  • EU Sounds Alarm Over China’s Rare Earth Export Controls, Prepares New ReSourceEU Plan

    EU Sounds Alarm Over China’s Rare Earth Export Controls, Prepares New ReSourceEU Plan

    Brussels and Washington have been put on high alert following China’s announcement of new restrictions on rare earth exports and related technologies — a move that threatens to disrupt the global supply of critical raw materials essential for clean energy and advanced industries. Although a recent tariff deal between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping reportedly delayed the implementation of those restrictions by a year, European leaders are bracing for potential economic shockwaves.

    Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue on October 25, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the EU “is ready to use all of the instruments in our toolbox to respond if needed.” The Commission’s immediate priority remains finding “solutions with our Chinese counterparts,” she said, but von der Leyen made clear that Brussels will not hesitate to take coercive countermeasures if Europe’s industrial security is threatened.

    Von der Leyen compared Beijing’s export restrictions to Moscow’s former energy leverage, describing China’s dominance in rare earth supply chains as a “significant risk” and a “threat to the stability of global industries.” More than 90% of Europe’s consumption of rare earth magnets — critical for sectors from automotive and defense to AI and aerospace — comes from China.

    To defend against possible coercion, the EU may invoke its so-called anti-coercion instrument, dubbed the European “bazooka,” which came into force in December 2023 but has yet to be used. The mechanism would allow Brussels to impose retaliatory tariffs, restrict trade in services and intellectual property, and limit access to European investment and procurement markets in response to deliberate economic pressure from foreign powers.

    At the same time, the European Commission is finalizing a new initiative — ReSourceEU — modeled on the 2022 RePowerEU energy plan. Its goal is to secure stable access to critical raw materials in the short, medium, and long term by boosting recycling, promoting collective purchasing, creating strategic reserves, and developing new partnerships with resource-rich countries including Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chile, and Greenland.

    Just a day earlier, the EU signed an enhanced partnership agreement with Uzbekistan, expanding cooperation on resource security and trade.

    Meanwhile, European Council President Antonio Costa raised the issue directly with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a bilateral meeting at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. Costa stressed “the importance of constructive and stable relations with China” while expressing “strong concern” over Beijing’s export controls. He urged China to “restore smooth, reliable, and predictable supply chains as soon as possible.”

    The escalating tensions underscore Europe’s growing vulnerability in the global competition for raw materials — and the delicate balancing act Brussels must perform between economic pragmatism and strategic autonomy.