Modern military and civilian technologies do not be without uncommon earth metals. Although China has dominated the extraction of these natural materials for years, The West wants to break that monopoly. The European Union is making its own efforts in this regard. The fresh Beijing independency strategy is to be based on the EU's ReSourceEU Action Plan, which aims to diversify supply.
In Per Geijer close Kiruna, the largest known uncommon earth deposits in Europe were discovered.
It is simple: the future of modern technologies depends straight on access to the right natural materials. This has worked in the past, it has worked, and today: so long as the 19th century was called the age of coal, the 20th century – the age of oil, so much modernity – possibly somewhat exaggerated – is called age rare earth metals. Without metals specified as neodymium, prazeodym, dysproz or terb – due to their unique features – it is virtually impossible to make avant-garde technologies.
They are used, among others, in optoelectronic, radar and sonar systems, in rocket guidance and guidance systems, to identify and track targets. They will besides be utilized in lasers, night imagination devices, sensors and sensors, to manufacture components of advanced combat machines – ships, aircraft, tanks and unmanned platforms.
Extraction Monopoly
In the 1980s, China had already invested in developing the extraction and processing of these natural materials. And they did so consistently and effectively that present they are not even so much a leader as a planet monopoly. Almost all planet policy players are aware of the serious threat of dependence on 1 supplier.
A taste of what might happen erstwhile China has 1 decision to block access to key natural materials, we already had: in consequence to the duties introduced in the spring of 2025 by the president Donald Trump Beijing decided to introduce restrictions on exports of uncommon earth metals. The impact was severe. Although Beijing suspended them for a year after Trump’s autumn visit to Asia, the substance will return sooner alternatively than later.
No wonder, then, that the West is desperate to find access to key resources. In an effort to become independent of Chinese supplies, the United States is actively searching for deposits and beginning mines at home, besides trying to get critical natural materials abroad. The case of uncommon metallic deposits occurred, among others, in the context of bilateral agreement with Ukraine, it was besides pointed out in the course of its pursuit acquisitions of Greenland.
The fact that Americans lively are curious in this problem is besides evidenced by their diplomatic activity. The issue of reducing dependence on China in the acquisition of uncommon metals was discussed in Washington at the G7 summit in January 2026, then besides in early February with representatives of nearly 50 countries. There was then a proposal to establish a coalition of countries curious in cooperation to address the problem of Chinese dominance in critical natural materials, especially uncommon earth metals.
Single market
The European States and the European Union as a community are besides very keen to make their own capacities to extract and process uncommon earths. Without access to specified metals, the issue of the improvement of the European defence manufacture and advanced military technologies, where Chinese natural materials are widely used, is questionable. Cooperation within the European Union will benefit from economies of scale, more area for manoeuvre and better financial conditions.
An crucial initiative of the Union became a critical natural materials act introduced in the spring of 2024, addressing the issue of securing their supply to EU associate States. There is something to fight for, as the last EU list announced in 2023 lists as many as 34 natural materials which are critical to the Community economy – and on this list are all uncommon earths. The Act aims to build EU capacities for their extraction, processing and recycling.
In December 2025, Brussels announced the ReSourceEU Action Plan to diversify supply and strengthen the safety of logistics chains. This includes the 3 most crucial areas: organisational issues, financing and global partnership. The main tool is the European Critical natural Materials Centre, set up to coordinate initiatives to enhance the independency of the European market.
The main aim is to make a joint purchasing mechanism, which will let for a better negotiating position with suppliers outside the Union. This mechanism, introduced by Poland, for example, works for the acquisition of natural gas for the Community. The EU besides focuses on collecting critical natural materials in specialised warehouses. This will increase the resilience of the home marketplace in the event of a regulation on Chinese exports.
It is besides crucial to supply EU financial support for initiatives and projects of crucial importance to the home industry. Around €3 billion was reserved for this intent in 2026. It is simply a separate substance to simplify the procedures, which will reduce the time needed to let projects considered strategic. It is crucial that bureaucratic measures could have lasted for years to date, including environmental issues, and now the time for granting permits is expected to be up to 24 months.
Raw material diplomacy
Building organization facilities is 1 thing. A separate substance is to search and exploit deposits. While no uncommon earth is presently being mined anywhere in Europe, this should shortly change. There is simply a search for fresh deposits throughout the continent, and re-assessments of the possibilities of extracting natural materials from already identified deposits, but considered inefficient and unprofitable to date.
Several very forward-looking locations are indicated in this context. In the European Union it is the Per Geijer deposits in the vicinity of Kiruna in northern Sweden and Norra Kärr in the confederate part of the country are peculiarly rich in alleged dense uncommon earth metals, but besides Sokli lying in north-eastern Finland. They are besides identified, among others, in France or Greece, but preparing them for operation and taking up extraction takes time – and there is not much.
In parallel, initiatives are being developed in cooperation with partners outside the Union. specified efforts have already gained the definition of natural materials diplomacy. Above all, cooperation with strategical partners specified as the United States and Japan is crucial in creating a common marketplace for natural materials of this kind. In addition, a search for deposits is carried out in various parts of the world, including another European countries which do not belong to the Union, in overseas estates or in partners. For example, in June 2024 the Norwegian company uncommon Earths Norway announced the discovery of a immense Fensfeltet deposit in the southeastern part of the country. It is besides known that the largest known uncommon earth metallic deposits are those located in Greenland – Kvanefjeld and Tanbreez.
Non-European routes are besides very actively penetrated. In particular, it is about cooperation with the rich in these deposits of Australia and Canada, but there are besides contacts with many countries in Asia, Africa and South America. Here the answer is simply a program called Global Gateway, which assumes the construction of safe supply chains outside Europe. In fresh years, the European Union has concluded agreements on extraction and supply of natural materials, including uncommon earths, with many countries, including Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Malawi, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan or Saudi Arabia.
There is another component concerning the safety of natural materials in the field of uncommon earth metals. It is about recovery of metals from waste and recycling, which will let to build a circular economy. This is what the alleged natural materials passports are meant to identify the natural material composition and then recycle critical natural materials. A step towards closed circulation is besides the introduction from early 2026 of a regulation on the export of scrap permanent magnets from uncommon lands, i.e. the product in which China is simply a actual monopolist.
Environmental impacts
An crucial component of the full process is access to not only mining but besides processing technology. China, which has gained tremendous experience in this area over the past decades, is reluctant to share their know-how. Investment in technological investigation is so needed. And who knows if it won't be a bigger challenge than erstwhile you access deposits. The extraction of uncommon earth metals is simply a very complex, costly and environmental process. In democratic countries where procedures are subject to appeal in courts, the doubts raised by local governments or residents make everything last for a long time. And then it's inactive not apparent whether the planned investment will come to fruition.
In this arrangement, autocratic states are easier – this is the case, for example, with China or Russia, where political decisions outweigh environmental costs. However, as everyone is aware of the current situation, the substance is easier to push. It is increasing to know that these are the steps essential to build independence. Although the initiatives of both Washington and Brussels are already very late, they cannot be abandoned.
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