The EU's Resource Nationalism Mismatched Priorities
THE ACTORS: The European Commission, national governments of EU member states, and strategic corporate players are pushing for greater control over critical mineral supply chains. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) authored the report, acting as an oversight body. Ursula von der Leyen's Commission has been a vocal proponent of 'strategic autonomy' in resource sectors. THE FUNDING: The EU's
Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) aims to mobilize significant investments, potentially leveraging instruments like the European Investment Bank (EIB) and national-level public funds. However, the report highlights a gap between ambition and actual investment required to develop new mining and refining capacity within the EU or through 'reliable' partners. Much of the current investment (e.g.,
lithium, cobalt, rare earths) is still heavily concentrated in China-backed infrastructure globally (Bloomberg, 2023). In 2022, China refined 68% of the world's nickel, 73% of cobalt, and 93% of manganese (IEA, 2023). THE INCENTIVES: The EU's primary incentive is to reduce reliance on single suppliers, particularly China, for minerals vital to the green and digital transitions (e.g., electric
vehicles, batteries, renewable energy tech). This aligns with broader 'de-risking' strategies articulated by major powers. However, the underlying incentive is also to secure continuous, affordable access to these resources to maintain industrial competitiveness, reminiscent of historical colonial resource extraction patterns. THE NETWORK: The network involves the EU's internal market, its