“Resource EU”: A Strategic Step to Reduce Reliance on Minerals from China

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In a move aimed at supporting and strengthening the industrial independence of the European continent, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the development of an integrated and comprehensive plan called “Resource EU.” This plan aims to reduce Europe’s dependence on rare minerals imported from China, which are used in vital industries such as electric cars, military equipment, and advanced machinery.

During the “Berlin Global Dialogue” conference, von der Leyen stated that the European Union had learned a harsh lesson from the energy crisis that swept the continent in 2022, after the cessation of fossil fuel supplies from Russia. She affirmed, “The same thing cannot be repeated with vital raw materials.” She added that the plan relies primarily on recycling materials by up to 95% in some industrial sectors, in addition to supporting production and processing within the European continent itself. It also aims to build strategic partnerships with countries rich in mineral resources, such as: Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chile, and Greenland.

This initiative comes amid increasing restrictions imposed by China on the export of rare minerals, which highlights the importance of achieving industrial self-sufficiency and reducing dependence on external supply chains, which could turn into tools for geopolitical pressure at any time.