European Union's Achilles' Heel - Securing the supply of critical raw materials

Sammanfattning: This paper examines the policy measures employed by the European Union (EU) to mitigate external risks to the supply of critical raw materials (CRMs). The research makes an informed overview on the dynamics of contemporary international relations and challenges it may pose for EU’s CRM supply security, necessary for its green transition, against the backdrop of the complex interdependence theory. The main theoretical framework is formed around the concept of supply security with three external threats—dependence, political risks, and lack of diversification— serving as criteria for the analysis. The first two factors are discussed in the context of the EU's reliance on other nations for CRMs while diversification is examined by analyzing EU – published documents, such as proposals, regulations and staff working documents, as well as initiatives aimed at addressing the Union’s dependence. Two levels of focus of action are international and domestic. Lastly, the paper reflects on some of drawbacks and remaining challenges of the current EU policy measures.