不满美国眼皮底下抢矿！欧盟拟打响“资源保卫战”

Group 1 - The European Union plans to establish a central agency to coordinate the procurement and storage of critical minerals to prevent the U.S. from purchasing global supplies "right under our noses" [1] - The EU's Executive Vice President for Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, stated that the EU has become "collateral damage" in disputes over access to rare earth minerals, which are crucial for defense and clean technologies [1] - The European Commission announced in October that it will hastily develop a plan to diversify the stockpiles of critical minerals, including rare earths, lithium, and copper [1] Group 2 - Séjourné emphasized that Brussels aims to use special funds to establish a critical minerals "center" to purchase, coordinate European procurement actions, reserve stock, and encourage companies to integrate more economic security factors into their supply chains [1] - The EU is reportedly behind the U.S. in integrating tools for securing critical materials, as the U.S. has been quicker to invest in domestic miners and sign supply agreements with various governments [1] - Séjourné's plan requires approval from the 27 EU commissioners and may include rapid partnership agreements with countries like Brazil and South Africa to ensure supply [1] Group 3 - Séjourné plans to visit Brazil and South Africa in the coming weeks and suggested that the EU should consider introducing price floors to ensure European companies can access domestic stock [2] - Concerns were raised that miners and processors are reluctant to invest in production within the EU due to fears that customers will still prefer cheaper sources despite supply risks [2] - The EU has set domestic production targets for critical minerals in 2023, but lengthy bureaucratic approval processes and environmental opposition have delayed new project launches [2] Group 4 - The plan will also fund innovations to develop technologies that do not require rare earths, with Séjourné stating that achieving independence is best accomplished by not needing these raw materials [2]