- As the EU turns to clean energy systems, the need for minerals and rare earths increases. Because of their economic importance and high supply risk, the European Commission currently classifies 34 materials as critical raw materials (CRMs), mostly occurring outside of the EU.
- In March 2024, the Council of the European Union gave its final approval for the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), a strategy to establish secure supply of CRMs to the EU, which stands as a flagship legislative initiative of the Green Deal Industrial Plan.
- One aspect of the CRMA are strategic partnerships with third countries, outlining areas of cooperation, such as a competitive and ethical industry, sustainable supply chains and inclusive economic growth.
About this series
“Global Europe Illustrated” is a section with a series of published maps designed to provide an insight into the EU's foreign policy ambitions in various regions. Each thematic map in the series focuses on the EU's global engagement in the context of EU election observation missions, global gateway projects and bilateral and multilateral EU summits and ministerial meetings with participating partner countries. In addition, each map is accompanied by a brief political analysis that provides nuanced views on what the map says about the EU's foreign policy objectives in the respective region and how these efforts are perceived. This combination of visual representation and analytical commentary provides a comprehensive understanding of the EU's engagement strategies and their impact on regional political realities.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek
Director of the Multinational Development Policy Dialogue Brussels
Jonas Nitschke
Programme Manager Democracy and Sustainable Development