الاتحاد الأوروبي يدعو لتأسيس احتياطيات مشتركة من المعادن النادرة

The European Commissioner for Industry, Stefan Sigourney, called on EU countries to create joint reserves of rare earth metals, aiming to protect supply chains from disruptions and reduce the risks of dependence on China.

Sigourney stated in remarks to the German newspaper "Handelsblatt" today (Monday): "The European Union already has strategic reserves of oil and gas, and the same approach should be applied to critical raw materials, such as metals used in clean energy technologies and defense and aerospace industries."

He added that the Union will launch more tenders this year to fund alternative projects to secure new sources of critical metals outside of China, as part of efforts to reduce dependence on unreliable suppliers.

Sigourney warned that Europe must use the same tools as its competitors, referring to the need for a stricter approach to defending commercial interests, emphasizing that the Union has the means to respond in the event of a trade war with China.

This move comes after China imposed restrictions on the export of rare earth metals last April, requiring new licenses, which prompted European companies, particularly in the automotive and technology sectors, to act quickly to secure alternatives and avoid production line shutdowns.