The European Union has announced that Greenland has been selected among several nations for 13 projects involving raw materials, as part of a broader effort to secure critical supply chains.
The initiative, which also includes non-EU countries, aims to boost Europe’s competitiveness in key sectors such as the green energy transition, defense, and aerospace.
The announcement comes amid growing tensions with China, which in April imposed new restrictions on exports of rare earth magnets and introduced a licensing system. The move forced European diplomats, automakers, and industrial companies into urgent negotiations with Beijing to avoid factory shutdowns.
Speaking on the matter, European Commissioner for Industry Stéphane Séjourné said: "We must reduce our dependencies on all countries, particularly on a number of countries like China... The export bans increase our will to diversify."
Currently, China controls 90% of the world’s processing capacity for rare earth magnets — crucial components used in everything from household electronics to electric vehicles and fighter jets.
At the same time, China remains the world’s leading supplier of many essential elements for renewable energy technologies, including rare earth minerals, batteries, and solar panels.
(QG - Source: The Independent — Picture : © Unsplash)
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