EU industry chief says raw materials recycling is solution to China dependency
BRUSSELS - EU industry chief Stephane Sejourne said on Wednesday that recycling is likely the solution to reducing the bloc's dependency on critical raw materials imports from China.
Under the Critical Raw Materials Act that entered into force last year, the bloc has set a target for recycling to meet 25% of EU demand for critical minerals by 2030. Less than 1% of rare earths in the EU are currently recycled.
Speaking at a conference in Brussels, Sejourne said the EU also needs to speed up its deal-making for critical raw materials instead of waiting for multi-year trade deals to be signed.
Sejourne said the bloc's gallium and rare earth permanent magnet production was set to rise sixfold by 2030 but the pace needed to accelerate across all the 17 strategic metals and minerals identified by the EU.
On the regulatory side, Sejourne said gaining permits needs to be simplified after "too many projects were abandoned" in the past.
The Commissioner said part of the responsibility rests on companies' shoulders as a US-China deal to delay new restrictions on rare earth exports was unlikely to last.
"Companies also need to reevaluate their risk and stop buying 100% Chinese," Sejourne said.
"The United States and China have signed a stop-the-clock deal and Europe has benefited but I doubt it will last the 12 months".
Sejourne is due to present the EU's new economic security doctrine and resource package on December 3.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
FLANDERS Southern Africa provides integrated solutions for mining and industrial operations, covering field services, automation, electrification,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
