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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Access to raw materials on global markets is one of the European Commission’s priorities. In the first pillar of the EU Raw Materials Strategy the EU has committed to pursuing Raw Materials Diplomacy by reaching out to non-EU countries through strategic partnerships and policy dialogues.

So far, the EU has formed partnerships with Argentina, Canada, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Namibia, Norway, Rwanda, Ukraine and Zambia. The EU also has additional relations with, Brazil, China, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the United States, Uruguay, the EuroMed countries and the African Union.

What the Commission does

Many countries have important mineral reserves with strategic relevance for EU industry. In the EU Raw Materials Strategy, the Raw Materials Diplomacy aims to establish dialogues with the EU’s strategic partners in raw materials. It does so by using different established frameworks of cooperation bilaterally, regionally or multilaterally. These frameworks are based on signed Letters of Intent or other agreed political frameworks.

Partnerships on raw materials

Norway: memorandum signed on 21 March 2024 (press release)

Rwanda: memorandum signed on 19 February 2024 (press release)

Greenland: memorandum signed on 30 November 2023 (press release)

DRC and Zambia: memoranda singed on 26 October 2023 (press release)

Chile: memorandum singed on 18 July 2023 (press release)

Argentina: memorandum singed on 13 June 2023 (press release)

Namibia: memorandum signed on 8 November 2022 (news article)

Kazakhstan: memorandum signed on 7 November 2022 (news article)

Ukraine: memorandum signed on 13 July 2021 (news article)

Canada: partnership adopted after 15 June 2021 (press release)

Letters of Intent and Missions for Growth

Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič signed a letter of intent with Serbia to strengthen and expand cooperation on critical raw materials and electric vehicles value chains on 22 September 2023.