{"id":63029,"date":"2025-11-06T10:35:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T10:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/eu-responds-to-chinese-sanctions-with-a-new-plan-a-battle-for-rare-earth-metals\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T10:42:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T10:42:25","slug":"eu-reaguje-na-cinske-sankcie-novym-planom-boj-o-kovy-vzacnych-zemin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/eu-reaguje-na-cinske-sankcie-novym-planom-boj-o-kovy-vzacnych-zemin\/","title":{"rendered":"E\u00da reaguje na \u010d\u00ednske sankcie nov\u00fdm pl\u00e1nom: boj o kovy vz\u00e1cnych zem\u00edn"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A battle for rare Earth metals<\/b><\/h2>\n

Europe has found itself at the new epicenter of the global struggle for raw materials. After months of trade tensions and Beijing\u2019s announcement of drastic export limits on rare earth metals, the European Union is speeding up work on <\/span>RESourceEU<\/span><\/a> \u2014 a strategy designed to ensure joint procurement, storage, and processing of key minerals essential for the energy transition and the defense industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is ruthless to those who hesitate. Europe can no longer act as it once did,\u201d said European Commission President <\/span>Ursula von der Leyen, announcing the plan at the <\/span>Berlin \u2018Global Dialogue 2025\u2019 <\/span><\/i>forum. \u201cWe must secure access to raw materials just as we managed to secure energy during the crisis following Russia\u2019s aggression against Ukraine,\u201d she emphasized.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A new weapon in global competition<\/b><\/h2>\n

The announcement comes as Beijing \u2014 the dominant producer and processor of rare earth metals \u2014 unveiled another wave of export restrictions, covering, among other things, magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and military equipment. The new rules require any company using even trace amounts of Chinese raw materials to obtain government approval for exports.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to EU officials<\/a>, China\u2019s actions amount to \u201ca geopolitical strike at Europe\u2019s weak spot\u201d \u2014 its dependence on strategic raw materials. As Trade Commissioner Maro\u0161 \u0160ef\u010dovi\u010d noted, some European firms have already had to halt production, and thousands more have stockpiles sufficient for only a few weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

The EU responded immediately: later that <\/span>week<\/span><\/a>, a high-level technical delegation from China will arrive in the Union’s capital to discuss export conditions and prevent supply disruptions. However, as a Commission spokesperson admitted, \u201cthere is no guarantee the talks will bring a quick solution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ant\u00f3nio COSTA, Xi JINPING, Ursula VON DER LEYEN [Photo: Consilium Europa<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Xi JINPING (President of the People’s Republic of China) [Photo: Consilium Europa<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe lesson from Russia\u201d: REPowerEU as a model<\/b><\/h2>\n

The new RESourceEU plan is modeled after REPowerEU<\/a>, the 2022 program that helped Member States wean themselves off Russian fossil fuels. This time, the stakes are metals \u2014 the foundation of the green and digital transitions, from batteries and semiconductors to military and satellite technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of the initiative, the EU plans to establish a European Critical Raw Materials Center \u2014 an agency to coordinate joint procurement, storage, and market monitoring. The EU aims by 2030 to mine 10%, process 40%, and recycle 25% of the critical materials it consumes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe must exploit what\u2019s already in circulation. Up to 95% of valuable minerals can be recovered from batteries,\u201d von der Leyen stressed, <\/span>pointing<\/span><\/a> to the importance of a circular economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is part of a long-term strategy to free Europe from dependence on a single supplier \u2014 in this case, China, which controls over 70% of global processing capacity for critical minerals.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to internal measures, the European Commission plans to sign a series of raw materials partnerships with countries such as Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Chile, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Greenland. Cooperation will include joint mining projects, technology transfer, and investments in metal processing outside China.<\/span><\/p>\n

The EU also plans to use external instruments such as Global Gateway, the EU\u2019s answer to China\u2019s <\/span>Belt and Road Initiative<\/span><\/i>, to finance strategic raw material projects in partner countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the short term, we must manage the supply crisis. In the long term, we must build an entirely new system of Europe\u2019s resource resilience,\u201d <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> a Commission spokesperson during a Brussels briefing.<\/span><\/p>\n

A new deal in the global economy<\/b><\/h2>\n

Behind the immediate crisis lies a broader struggle \u2014 an escalating geopolitical and economic rivalry. As von der Leyen <\/span>noted<\/span><\/a> in Berlin, the world is entering a \u201cgeo-economic era\u201d, where control over raw materials, supply chains, and technologies becomes a tool of pressure and influence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cToday, it\u2019s not only armies but also minerals that determine the strength of nations. Europe must learn to think strategically about its economy, just as we think about security,\u201d said the Commission President.<\/span><\/p>\n

The EU is already preparing to use the so-called anti-coercion instrument if China does not ease its restrictions. French President <\/span>Emmanuel Macron called<\/a> for a \u201cdecisive and united response\u201d to defend European industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEurope\u2019s moment of independence\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n

With the new 2026 Annual Work Programme, the EU has officially made resource security one of its strategic priorities. The document announces the creation of a joint purchasing and storage center, new regulations on sensitive products, and a \u201cMade in Europe\u201d criterion in public procurement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEurope must fight for its place in a world where some powers are hostile or indifferent to us,\u201d von der Leyen <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> in the European Parliament. \u201cThis is our moment of independence,\u201d she emphasized.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts, however, warn that the path to resource independence will be long and costly. Mineral processing requires not only technology and investment but also years of infrastructure development and environmental permits.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint,\u201d said one EU diplomat. \u201cBut after the lesson with Russian gas, no one in Brussels doubts that this marathon must begin immediately.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Wang YI (Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, China), Ant\u00f3nio COSTA (President of the European Council) [Photo: Consilium Europa<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ursula VON DER LEYEN (President of the European Commission), Ant\u00f3nio COSTA (President of the European Council) [Photo: Consilium Europa<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A new chapter in European sovereignty<\/b><\/h2>\n

The RESourceEU<\/a> plan is not just a reaction to the current crisis \u2014 it\u2019s an attempt to redefine Europe\u2019s concept of economic sovereignty, from energy to technology, from defense to raw materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a world where the economy is increasingly used as a tool of political pressure, Europe is betting on a new paradigm: independence through cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEurope learned from the energy crisis that dependence can be weaponized. We will not make the same mistake with critical raw materials. This is the moment when Europe matures into its independence,\u201d von der Leyen <\/span>concluded<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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