The EU risks running out of raw materials for renewables

The EU is struggling to secure the supply of the raw materials it needs to achieve its energy and climate goals. This is the conclusion of a new special report by the European Court of Auditors (the Court). The EU’s action on import diversification is not yielding tangible results; Bottlenecks hinder domestic production, and recycling is still in its infancy. In this context, many of the EU-supported projects are not likely to achieve satisfactory results in time, according to the auditors.

The EU’s transition to renewables is highly dependent on technical equipment (batteries, wind turbines and solar panels) that requires critical raw materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earths. All these raw materials are currently concentrated in one or more third countries, such as China, Turkey and Chile. To address this vulnerability, the EU adopted its Critical Raw Materials Regulation in 2024 with the aim of ensuring a secure long-term supply of twenty-six minerals considered essential for the energy transition.

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