Supply Chain Vulnerabilities Trigger EU Response
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and broader geopolitical tensions have exposed the European Union’s overreliance on external actors for strategic materials. After the gas supply crisis, similar concerns are rising over critical raw materials needed for digital and green technologies.
To address these risks, the EU is shifting toward internal extraction, regional supply diversification, and long-term industrial autonomy. However, these goals come with serious environmental and cost considerations.
The Critical Raw Materials Act: Europe’s 2030 Roadmap
Passed in 2024, the Critical Raw Materials Act aims to reduce EU dependency by setting measurable targets:
- Extract 10% of annual critical material demand from EU territory.
- Process 40% within the EU.
- Recycle 25% of critical raw materials.
- No more than 65% of any strategic material can come from a single country.
This initiative covers 34 critical raw materials including lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and magnesium — many of which are sourced today from geopolitically volatile supply chains such as China and the DRC.
Spotlight: Lithium Mining at Cínovec, Czech Republic
One of the EU’s flagship projects is the Cínovec lithium deposit, located in the Ore Mountains on the Czech-German border. The region, once known for tin and tungsten mining, is now at the center of the EU’s green industrial plans.
Estimated to hold up to 5% of global lithium reserves, Cínovec is operated by Geomet, a joint venture with partial state ownership. The plan: extract 3 million tonnes of ore annually and produce 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate for battery production.
“We aim to handle the entire value chain internally — from extraction to final product,” explains Tomáš Vrbický, Geomet’s chief geologist.
Can the EU Reach Its Targets?
Experts warn that the EU’s goals, while visionary, may not be entirely feasible by 2030. Starý Jaromír of the Czech Geological Survey highlights that many critical raw materials are not yet discovered or exploitable in Europe. “Reaching 10% extraction and 40% processing by 2030 is very optimistic,” he said.
Environmental concerns also loom large. Even with advanced techniques, mining has an ecological footprint. “It’s hypocritical to reject mining here while relying on poorly regulated operations abroad,” says geologist Gabriel Zbyněk.
Balancing Sustainability and Strategic Autonomy
The EU faces a dual mandate: secure critical resources while upholding high environmental standards and social justice. Cleaner mining technologies and responsible sourcing frameworks will be critical to achieving both.
Whether the EU can become a model for sustainable, sovereign mineral production will depend on the coming decade’s policy enforcement, investment flows, and public support.