Clingendael Policy Brief, 2024.

Europe and India are rapidly embarking on a clean energy transition with the share of renewables skyrocketing in their respective energy mixes. This heightens concerns about dependence on critical raw materials (CRMs), such as cobalt, nickel and graphite, that are needed for renewable energy technologies, and whose supply chains are largely dominated by singular exporters such as China. It is not the case that Europe and India lack reserves of, for instance, lithium, but there are barriers to extracting them, and even if new mining activities are undertaken, it will take time.

Policy Paper, Jacques Delors Institute, 2024.

The increased French consumption of critical raw materials (CRMs) is too important for supplies to be secure in the medium to long term. These problems of access to CRM could slow down or even threaten the energy transition, which is very material-intensive, as we can, for instance, see in the manufacturing process of batteries or the extension of electricity grids. Lithium requirements could increase by a factor of 8.7 by 2040, graphite by a factor of 3.9 and copper by a factor of 1.5. France, which has major automotive groups, is seeking to accelerate its re-industrialisation and boost its international competitiveness, is therefore particularly exposed.

Edoardo Righetti., Vasileios Rizos and Marika Moreschi, Centre for European Policy Studies, 2025.

As the EU seeks to secure access to Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), CRM-related technical standardisation has been gaining increasing policy attention. Technical standards are essential for the private sector to comply with emerging regulatory requirements, including those recently introduced by the Critical Raw Materials Act. They are also crucial for disseminating significant technological advancements in the CRM sector, notably on recycling, while ensuring their benefits are distributed fairly and sustainably. In the current highly competitive geopolitical environment, technical standards are also increasingly leveraged to favour domestic industrial interests and priorities.

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