BRUSSELS — The EU wants to purchase and stockpile critical raw materials to ensure the supply of minerals and metals critical for industries ranging from defense to carmakers.
The proposal is part of a new annual work plan presented Tuesday and designed to meet “Europe’s independence moment.”
The move — setting up a Critical Raw Materials Center to “monitor, jointly purchase and stockpile these minerals, which are so essential to our industrial sovereignty” — comes within a 2026 plan peppered with actions to prop up the bloc’s independence.
“Our regional and global order is being redrawn. And Europe must fight for its place in a world where some major powers are either ambivalent or hostile to us,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Tuesday.
China — which dominates the supply of critical minerals — earlier this month announced broad export controls on rare-earth magnets and their raw materials on grounds of national security, prompting concerns from industry. The EU’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič was on Tuesday set to talk with his Chinese counterpart to discuss a path forward.
As part of its grand plan to diversify supply of the minerals away from China, unveiled in 2023, the EU executive had already announced plans to increase monitoring and ramp up joint purchasing and stockpiling.
“Beyond raw materials, Europe must be in control of the critical technologies that will shape the economy of tomorrow,” von der Leyen said of the 2026 plans — citing moves across sectors including batteries, cloud, artificial intelligence and advanced materials, and plans for a “Made in Europe” criteria for sensitive products in public procurement.
Citing the need for a “sovereign and independent” Europe, the Commission organized its 2026 work plan under six headings: sustainable prosperity and competitiveness; defense and security; social model and innovation; quality of life; democracy and rule of law; and global engagement.
Among the measures for 2026 are a new “European Product Act,” an update of public procurement rules, new omnibus proposals for deregulation on taxation and energy, an anti-corruption package and an action plan against cyberbullying.
It also included a list of 25 bills the EU executive plans to spike next year amid a push to slash red tape. The EU is on a journey to streamline its legislation to become more competitive, amid intense pressure from the industry and EU capitals.
The proposals featured on the withdrawal list — which covers bills that have started their legislative journey but have become obsolete or mired in political wrangling — include a proposed monitoring framework for resilient European forests. National governments in the Council and lawmakers in the European Parliament have six months to make a case if they want to save the bills.
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