1. Europe’s Push for Resource Independence
Europe is investing heavily in local mining to reduce its reliance on imports and power its green and digital transformation. Amid rising geopolitical tensions and conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, the European Union has realized how vulnerable it is when relying on a few countries for key resources.
Just as Europe once depended on Russian gas, it now faces a similar challenge with critical raw materials — natural resources that are essential to the economy and vital to the EU’s climate-neutral and digital transition goals.
To address this, the EU is striving for self-sufficiency by expanding its domestic mining and processing capacity while diversifying its sources of supply. But these efforts come with high costs and complex trade-offs.
2. The EU’s Green and Digital Transformation
The European Union needs critical raw materials (CRMs) to power its Green Deal, which aims for a climate-neutral economy, and to advance digital innovation, defense, and space technologies.
The EU has identified 34 critical raw materials, including lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and magnesium. These materials are indispensable for manufacturing batteries, electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy infrastructure.
However, many of these materials have high-risk supply chains. For instance:
- 63% of the world’s cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- 100% of the rare earth elements used in permanent magnets are refined in China.
This dependence exposes Europe to geopolitical risks and supply disruptions, prompting an urgent push for local production.
3. The Critical Raw Materials Act: Europe’s Strategic Plan
In 2024, the EU passed the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) to strengthen domestic raw material capacity and reduce reliance on external suppliers.
By 2030, the EU aims to:
- Mine at least 10% of its annual raw material needs within Europe.
- Process at least 40% of its requirements domestically.
- Recycle at least 25% of used materials.
- Ensure that no more than 65% of each raw material comes from a single third country.
The CRMA also designates 47 strategic projects across the EU to fast-track mining, refining, and recycling initiatives.
4. The Czech Republic: Mining the Future in the Ore Mountains
Mining has deep roots in Europe’s history, particularly in the Ore Mountains along the Czech-German border. Once rich in tin and tungsten, the region’s mines closed in the 1990s as they became unprofitable. Today, the area is experiencing a revival thanks to the energy transition.
Beneath the Czech town of Cínovec lies one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe, estimated to contain between three and five percent of global reserves.Geomet, a private company with state participation, is leading one of the EU’s 47 Strategic Projects to build an environmentally responsible lithium production chain.
“We are going to mine almost three million tonnes of ore per year and produce about 30,000 tonnes of final product,” says Tomáš Vrbický, a geologist at Geomet.
The company’s plan is not only to extract lithium but also to process it into lithium carbonate, a key component for batteries. Achieving the full production cycle domestically is rare and ambitious, though it comes with higher costs and technological challenges.
5. Can Europe Meet Its Targets?
By 2030, the EU wants to mine 10%, process 40%, and recycle 25% of its annual raw material needs. But experts are skeptical about the timeline.
Starý Jaromír, Head of Department at the Czech Geological Survey, expressed doubts:
“This objective is not realistic because some of the European Union’s critical raw materials are not found on the European continent and are not currently mined. It is impossible to achieve 10% of European consumption for all critical materials.”
The challenge is not only geological but also economic and regulatory. Mining in Europe is more expensive and tightly regulated, making it difficult to compete with global suppliers.
6. Balancing Sustainability and Reality
Critics argue that the rush for domestic mining could clash with Europe’s environmental ideals.
When asked if Europe’s push for critical materials risks ignoring the pollution caused by mining, geologist Gabriel Zbyněk of the Czech Geological Survey replied:
“In the EU we really need these raw materials. It is hypocritical to say we do not want mining here while importing from countries that mine without our environmental standards.”
Mining inevitably causes environmental impact, but new technologies and stricter regulations can minimize pollution.
Europe’s real challenge lies in finding a balance between building a sustainable, socially fair industry and managing the higher costs that come with it.
