An EU official said on Wednesday that the EU is in talks with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a major supplier of battery minerals, and seeks to have similar discussions with other African nations to secure its supplies of vital raw materials.
The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which has not yet taken effect, set goals to create alternate sources as part of attempts to lessen dependence on China, which dominates supplies of minerals needed for a transition to a lower carbon economy.
As of now, the EU has agreements in place with nations like Canada, Kazakhstan, Namibia, and Ukraine, and it has been reported that agreements with Argentina and Chile are close at hand.
A group from the EU would be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for talks in June, according to Elisabetta Sartorel, the EU’s policy officer on vital raw materials, who made the announcement during a virtual presentation to the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines annual general meeting.
“We anticipate beginning negotiations with other nations in the Great Lakes region, particularly Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and possibly Tanzania as well, in the near future,” she continued.
The EU’s key materials partnerships include funding, collaboration on research and innovation, the development of infrastructure, and the improvement of skills.
Following the signing of a critical materials agreement, according to Sartorel, a roadmap of specific steps is created for the EU and the partner nation to implement together.
However, catching up to China will be difficult for the EU.
In its essential raw materials plan, it states that 60% of the cobalt processed in China and 63% of the world’s cobalt, which is used in batteries for electric vehicles, is extracted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
