Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung
Osnabruck (ots)
Franziska Brantner: EU must “catch up” on raw materials
Parliamentary Secretary of State for Economic Affairs warns of dependence on China – securing raw materials “can only be achieved together at European level”
Osnabruck. Parliamentary State Secretary for Economic Affairs Franziska Brantner has called on the EU to make more efforts to secure raw materials from countries other than China. “We have to catch up,” said the Green politician in an interview with the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ). Because if China imposes a delivery stop, as the Lithuanians have already experienced, “all of a sudden production can no longer be done,” Brantner warned.
Although risk minimization can be more expensive in the beginning, it pays off in the long run. “We have to have this patience now,” demanded the parliamentary secretary of state for economic affairs. She referred to countries like Japan and South Korea, which have been pursuing an “active raw material strategy” for many years. On average, their companies can even get the raw materials cheaper today than their European competitors.
The EU Commission recently presented a plan for a European raw materials strategy, according to which dependency on strategic raw materials is to be reduced to 65 percent by 2030. There is still no agreement between Parliament and the Member States. Brantner emphasized in the “NOZ” that securing raw materials “can only be achieved together at European level and not by going it alone at national level”.
In addition, the EU will also have to recycle significantly more raw materials. “Batteries from electric cars could be recycled in Europe, and much more recycling is possible and necessary for heat pumps and windmills,” said the Green politician. “The path is not easy, but in the end we are not only climate-neutral with a circular economy made in Europe, but also more capable of acting and much less vulnerable. This will take the EU to a new level.”
Press contact:
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung
editorial staff
Phone: +49(0)541/310 207
Original content from: Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, transmitted by news aktuell
