Speech in Strasbourg
Von der Leyen warns of a raw materials crisis in Europe
More “Made in Europe” instead of dependence on individual countries: Von der Leyen wants to make Europe’s economy more independent – and warns of impending bottlenecks.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warns of a possible raw materials crisis in the EU. Given Europe’s dependence on energy and other raw material imports, she wants to do more for Europe’s economic security.
Von der Leyen: Supply crisis is just around the corner
“A crisis in the supply of critical raw materials is no longer a distant risk. It is just around the corner,” said the Commission President in a speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. No country should have the ability to undermine Europe’s economic security. We have seen what happens when one becomes too dependent on a country, said von der Leyen, without naming a specific country. After the start of the Russian attack against Ukraine, dependencies on energy from Russia became noticeable.
Commission wants to propose new measures
“I will be ready to propose further measures to ensure Europe’s economic security,” said von der Leyen. The background is primarily concerns about dependencies on critical raw materials and key technologies.
This involves, for example, materials for the production of microchips, wind turbines or batteries. The EU often covers a large part of its needs through a single third country.
Von der Leyen also confirmed that she wants to introduce a “Made in Europe” criterion. She had already presented the idea in September. Public contracts accounted for 14 percent of economic output, said the Commission President.
“This is a huge financial clout controlled by European governments,” she said. This should be better used to create stable demand for clean, European-made products.
dpa
Source: Stern
