Alliance planned to meet Europe’s need for raw materials

Initiative will be open to states, industry, research organisations and civil society

The European Commission plans to establish an alliance bringing together all relevant actors to help Europe secure access to the raw materials it will need for societal and economic development for the coming decades, it announced on 3 September.

Due to be created in the autumn, the European Raw Materials Alliance will focus on EU supply chains’ “most pressing needs”, in particular securing access to rare earth metals. For example, by 2050 Europe will need up to 60 times as much lithium as today to meet its needs for car batteries and energy storage, the Commission said.