Mining in the EU: between necessity, rejection and half-truths

In the European Union, there is consensus on accelerating the transition to green energy. But it goes off the rails when supply chain dependency on China comes to the fore. A logical solution seems to be to extract the rare earths existing in the member countries of the union. Reviving mining in the EU. Not so fast.

Mining has a well-earned reputation for disrespecting environmental laws. No one appreciates the installation close to their home of a predatory industry that leaves little or no profit. They know that once you get settled, the landscape changes. Usually for the worse. Electronic technology shifted the pivot from fossil fuels to rare earths as the big engine. The EU has identified 30 critical raw materials, of which 19 are imported from China, including rare earths (the bloc imports 98%), magnesium and other key minerals for the manufacture of batteries and circuit components.

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