The European Union is facing serious difficulties in securing the critical raw materials needed to achieve its energy and climate goals – this is the main conclusion of the latest report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). According to the auditors, the EU’s measures to diversify imports have not yet produced tangible results, domestic production faces numerous bottlenecks, and recycling capacities are far below the required levels. As a result, many EU-supported projects risk not being completed on time.
The transition to renewable energy requires enormous amounts of equipment – from batteries and wind turbines to solar panels – all of which rely on key materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements. However, most of these materials come from only a handful of non-EU countries, primarily China, Turkey, and Chile, which makes the Union highly vulnerable.
To reduce its dependence, the EU adopted the Critical Raw Materials Act in 2024, defining 26 minerals essential for the energy transition. However, according to the ECA, the act sets only non-binding targets, and it remains unclear how the levels to be achieved by 2030 were actually determined.
“Without critical raw materials, there will be no energy transition, no competitiveness, and no strategic autonomy. Unfortunately, we depend on just a few non-EU countries. The EU must accelerate its efforts to reduce this vulnerability,” warned Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, the Court member responsible for the audit.
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Although the EU is trying to diversify its raw material supply, results remain limited. Over the past five years, 14 strategic partnerships in the field of raw materials have been concluded, yet imports from these partner countries have actually decreased for about half of the analyzed materials. Some key negotiations – such as the agreement with the United States – were halted in 2024, while several major agreements are still awaiting ratification.
Domestic production slow and insufficient
The EU aims to meet 10% of its raw material needs from domestic mines by 2030 and to process 40% within the Union. However, exploration of potential deposits is slow, and the development of mining projects can take up to 20 years. At the same time, existing processing facilities are shutting down due to high energy prices, further undermining industrial competitiveness.
The auditors warn of a vicious circle: the lack of available raw materials makes it difficult to launch projects, reducing incentives to increase domestic production – and the cycle continues.
The current EU list includes 34 critical raw materials, 26 of which are essential for renewable energy technologies, while 17 are classified as strategic materials. As the EU has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050, ensuring stable access to these raw materials will be crucial.
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