Strasbourg: EU Commissioner for Industry Stephane Sejourne urged the European Union to "double its efforts" to reduce its strategic dependence on China, particularly concerning critical minerals. Addressing the European Parliament, Sejourne highlighted the significant impact of China's restrictions on exporting rare earths, which he claimed have "directly targeted Europe." He expressed concern over the EU's limited access to these strategic minerals, despite Beijing's temporary suspension of certain export curbs. According to Kuwait News Agency, Sejourne emphasized China's dominance in the global rare earth market, which is essential for industries such as electric vehicles, computers, and fighter aircraft. He stressed the urgency for Europe to address this challenge, advocating for Brussels to intensify its efforts in reducing reliance on China for these critical materials. Sejourne highlighted that the restrictions imposed by Beijing in April were succeeded by even stricter measures in October, including a "de facto ban" on rare-earth export licenses for military use. Although these October restrictions were suspended for a year following discussions between former President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the April measures continue to largely remain in place. He also mentioned that the export licenses for critical minerals being issued by Beijing to European companies are "sporadic and in limited quantities," posing a risk to supply chains in the EU's automotive and energy sectors. Sejourne announced that the EU plans to unveil the "RESourceEU" initiative next week, which aims to secure access to these essential minerals. As part of the plan, Sejourne revealed the proposal for a "European Centre for Critical Raw Materials," intended to function as a supply hub at the EU level, thereby enhancing the Union's ability to independently source vital materials.
