economy
February 3, 2026
Damning EU report lays bare bloc’s ‘dangerous dependence’ on critical mineral imports
Auditor calls renewable energy targets ‘unrealistic’ unless ‘EU ups its game’ in mining, refining and recycling of metals such as rare earths
TL;DR
- The EU is heavily dependent on China and countries in the global south for critical minerals and rare earths.
- A European Court of Auditors report found EU's 2030 targets for these materials are "out of reach".
- Domestic mining, exploration, refining, and recycling are underdeveloped in the EU.
- It can take up to 20 years for an EU mining project to become operational.
- The EU imports significant percentages of key minerals like magnesium, gallium, and tungsten from China.
- China controls a majority of the market for important rare earths, essential for permanent magnets.
- Lithium largely comes from Chile, and boron from Turkey.
- Diversification efforts with partner countries have not yet produced tangible results.
- Without secure critical raw material supplies, the EU's energy transition, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy are at risk.
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