{"id":2122250,"date":"2026-09-01T12:33:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2122250"},"modified":"2026-09-01T12:33:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:33:44","slug":"arctic-emerges-as-new-front-in-eus-effort-to-cut-dependence-on-chinese-critical-raw-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2122250","title":{"rendered":"Arctic emerges as new front in EU\u2019s effort to cut dependence on Chinese critical raw materials"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/67\/69\/1200x675_cmsv2_b6d3c48f-d558-5170-8a9f-057a4d572852-9896769.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2921927-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2921927\" data-cid=\"9895685\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921927-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/56\/85\/189x106_cmsv2_4ed3a124-6977-5912-88e4-3dc32d95ddf0-9895685.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"MCC Brussels director Frank Furedi, delivers a speech at the  at the CPAC conference in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, May 19, 2022.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Orb\u00e1n-founded Brussels think tank MCC Brussels to close\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2922233-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2922233\" data-cid=\"9897197\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2922233-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/71\/97\/189x106_cmsv2_d90a628b-ea1d-54fc-a0d3-b7236298416e-9897197.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Steam rises from the cooling towers of the J\u00e4nschwalde power plant, 26 November, 2024\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Improvised explosive devices found near German power plant, police say\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921940-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2921940\" data-cid=\"9895712\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921940-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/57\/12\/189x106_cmsv2_a24f0d75-b635-59c2-b8e8-9371a7c2dd29-9895712.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Sixteen members of a south London Hindu temple remain missing after a flood near Nepal and Tibet, leaving families waiting for news of loved ones.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    South London Hindu temple prays for missing members after deadly floods in Nepal\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2922051-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2922051\" data-cid=\"9896311\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2922051-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/63\/11\/189x106_cmsv2_185fa0bf-ba8b-55ff-981a-98b841270760-9896311.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Opening ceremony of Nomad Games, Bishkek Arena \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Kyrgyzstan<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    World Nomad Games open in Bishkek before an audience of world leaders\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921927-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2921927\" data-cid=\"9895685\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921927-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/56\/85\/189x106_cmsv2_4ed3a124-6977-5912-88e4-3dc32d95ddf0-9895685.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"MCC Brussels director Frank Furedi, delivers a speech at the  at the CPAC conference in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, May 19, 2022.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Orb\u00e1n-founded Brussels think tank MCC Brussels to close\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2922233-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2922233\" data-cid=\"9897197\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2922233-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/71\/97\/189x106_cmsv2_d90a628b-ea1d-54fc-a0d3-b7236298416e-9897197.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Steam rises from the cooling towers of the J\u00e4nschwalde power plant, 26 November, 2024\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Improvised explosive devices found near German power plant, police say\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921940-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2921940\" data-cid=\"9895712\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921940-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/57\/12\/189x106_cmsv2_a24f0d75-b635-59c2-b8e8-9371a7c2dd29-9895712.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Sixteen members of a south London Hindu temple remain missing after a flood near Nepal and Tibet, leaving families waiting for news of loved ones.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    South London Hindu temple prays for missing members after deadly floods in Nepal\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2922051-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2922051\" data-cid=\"9896311\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2922051-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/63\/11\/189x106_cmsv2_185fa0bf-ba8b-55ff-981a-98b841270760-9896311.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Opening ceremony of Nomad Games, Bishkek Arena \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Kyrgyzstan<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    World Nomad Games open in Bishkek before an audience of world leaders\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Arctic emerges as new front in EU\u2019s effort to cut dependence on Chinese critical raw materials<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/67\/69\/1536x864_cmsv2_b6d3c48f-d558-5170-8a9f-057a4d572852-9896769.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"South facing view of the Malmbjerg molybdenum deposit. The molybdenum deposit outcrops as indicated by the lighter staining.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              South facing view of the Malmbjerg molybdenum deposit. The molybdenum deposit outcrops as indicated by the lighter staining.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo \/ Business Wire<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo \/ Business Wire\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspMarta Pacheco\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1788266024\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-09-01 14:33:44 +02:00\">01\/09\/2026 &#8211; 14:33 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span 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loading=\"lazy\"><span>Bluesky<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-bluesky.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"bluesky\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        The EU\u2019s growing dependence on the Arctic\u2019s resources is forcing Brussels to view the region through the prism of\u00a0economic security and supply chain resilience \u2013 but the rights and living conditions of indigenous and local communities could suffer.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>The European Union is becoming increasingly dependent on the Arctic for its climate transition and defence goals and the bloc should mobilise efforts to use its own critical raw materials in the far North to cut dependencies on China, according to a European Commission official.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Speaking at an event on the EU\u2019s Arctic strategy on Tuesday, the bloc\u2019s special envoy for Arctic affairs, Jyrki Katainen, argued that the war in Ukraine, China\u2019s growing influence and changing US policy had fundamentally altered the region&#8217;s geopolitical and economic importance.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are becoming increasingly dependent on the Arctic, economically and militarily. The Arctic region provides us with a wide range of critical raw materials, which we have been importing, largely from China,&#8221; Katainen told an audience in Brussels.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have understood that this is not sustainable anymore. We have to utilise our own resources.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The EU is particularly interested in rare earth metals, which are crucial for the manufacturing of clean and defence technologies like solar panels or batteries and where it remains almost entirely dependent on China. <\/p>\n<p>Greenland ranks among the global leaders in undeveloped rare earth elements, with massive deposits in areas like Kvanefjeld and Tanbreez. Northern Sweden, Norway and Finland host active and developing projects for copper, cobalt, lithium, and other critical metals.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">&#8216;Global race for critical raw materials is about power,&#8217; EU Commission says <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Katainen, who served as Competitiveness Commissioner during Jean-Claude Juncker&#8217;s tenure as Commission president, argued that relying on Beijing for materials essential to industries including wind power is no longer sustainable, either environmentally or from an economic security perspective.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Katainen suggested, the answer is not simply to open more mines \u2014 since Europe already has mineral deposits and mining projects, particularly in northern Europe \u2014 but to invest in processing capacity, a particular weak point for the bloc. <\/p>\n<p>According to data from the digital intelligence platform Energy Solutions Intelligence, as of August 2026, the EU extracts roughly 3% of its critical raw material needs, processes roughly 15%, and recycles about 10%, leaving a structural deficit of 7%, 25%, and 15% respectively, compared to the bloc&#8217;s binding goals.<\/p>\n<h2>EU processing hub in Northern Europe<\/h2>\n<p>In his Tuesday remarks, Katainen proposed what he described as a \u201ccentral kitchen\u201d model, potentially located in northern Sweden or Finland, where raw materials extracted from different European mines could be processed and separated into individual rare earth elements.<\/p>\n<p>The idea would create a European processing hub that could feed multiple industries while reducing reliance on Chinese processing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been building a model (&#8230;) which takes all the raw materials, the rocks, and separates different rare earth elements from each other. And in order to make this happen, we need to ask you to regulate prices, organise stockpiling facilities for those elements, and provide some investment support,&#8221; the former commissioner said.<\/p>\n<p>Such projects will require more than private capital, he warned. As a template, he pointed to the InvestEU model, a program designed to boost the bloc&#8217;s economy by triggering massive private investments.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">EU&#8217;s climate goals at risk without China&#8217;s critical raw materials, EU auditors warn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2021, the EU announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in the Arctic and vowed to protect the environment in the region. The bloc also opened a European Commission office in Greenland in March 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Katainen suggested that, beyond minerals, Europe should consider new forms of public-private cooperation and burden-sharing for Arctic infrastructure, including icebreakers. <\/p>\n<p>Currently, Russia operates more than 50 icebreakers, including 7 nuclear-powered units, which is more than all other countries combined. Expensive icebreaking vessels could serve several purposes at once, the Finnish EU official said, supporting security operations while also acting as research platforms and collecting environmental and other data.<\/p>\n<h2>The indigenous question<\/h2>\n<p>However, the strategic push into the Arctic forces the bloc into a delicate balancing act: securing natural resources without repeating the unsustainable extractive approach it criticises elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, one young Arctic resident challenged Katainen over what she described as the impunity with which countries such as the US, Russia and, to some extent, China operate in the region. She questioned whether the EU\u2019s language about becoming \u201cincreasingly dependent\u201d on the Arctic risked turning local communities and resources into instruments of European economic security.<\/p>\n<p>In response, the EU envoy acknowledged that Europe needs a more coherent Arctic policy precisely because its dependence is growing. He also suggested the EU&#8217;s industry is &#8220;the most sustainable by far compared to other industries&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is the whole value for us. But we have to also pay attention to our economic security and sustainability in that sense,&#8221; Katainen warned.<\/p>\n<p>He floated the idea of an EU-wide Arctic &#8220;neighbourhood policy&#8221;, a mechanism that would give non-Arctic EU member states a greater say in Arctic policy while providing a framework for using EU funds in the region. <\/p>\n<p>Norway, Iceland, Canada, and potentially the United Kingdom could be key non-EU partners, particularly when it comes to research and infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>The former Commissioner linked the neighbourhood policy to better dialogue with local and indigenous communities, arguing that the EU needs their input on where investment should go and how sustainability should be ensured.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Arctic seabed mission documents fragile marine life threatened by Norway&#8217;s deep-sea mining plans<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  &#8216;Russian threat&#8217; moves to the Arctic, Canadian Foreign Minister warns<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  How Portugal shaped Canada&#8217;s new submarines and fine-tuned Arctic defence<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  EU Policy<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Arctic<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  China<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  European Commission<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Critical Raw Materials<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-top-stories\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-top-stories\">\n<h2 class=\"c-top-stories__title\">Top stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2922134-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2922134\" data-cid=\"9896644\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2922134-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/66\/44\/320x180_cmsv2_f1287091-31d3-5e41-bb40-04a4781c4dca-9896644.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"EU foreign policy is governed by unanimity.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    11 EU countries demand end to &#8216;obstructive&#8217; vetoes on foreign policy<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2922233-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2922233\" data-cid=\"9897197\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2922233-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/71\/97\/320x180_cmsv2_d90a628b-ea1d-54fc-a0d3-b7236298416e-9897197.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Steam rises from the cooling towers of the J\u00e4nschwalde power plant, 26 November, 2024\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Improvised explosive devices found near German power plant, police say<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2922148-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2922148\" data-cid=\"9896742\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2922148-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/67\/42\/320x180_cmsv2_9cf67309-752d-5646-87f7-ef7922f11a07-9896742.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"UN Secretary General\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Exclusive: UN&#8217;s Guterres urges world leaders to &#8216;stop madness&#8217; 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vote deals a blow to Brussels\u2019 security pitch<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920341-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920341\" data-cid=\"9887640\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EU struggles again with migration after Ceuta crisis<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">The European Union is becoming increasingly dependent on the Arctic for its climate transition and defence goals and the bloc should mobilise efforts to use its own critical raw materials in the far North to cut dependencies on China, according to a European Commission official.Speaking at an event on the EU\u2019s Arctic strategy on Tuesday, the bloc\u2019s special envoy for Arctic affairs, Jyrki Katainen, argued that the war in Ukraine, China\u2019s growing influence and changing US policy had fundamentally altered the region&#8217;s geopolitical and economic importance.&#8221;We are becoming increasingly dependent on the Arctic, economically and militarily. The Arctic region provides us with a wide range of critical raw materials, which we have been importing, largely from China,&#8221; Katainen told an audience in Brussels.&#8221;We have understood that this is not sustainable anymore. We have to utilise our own resources.&#8221;The EU is particularly interested in rare earth metals, which are crucial for the manufacturing of clean and defence technologies like solar panels or batteries and where it remains almost entirely dependent on China.Greenland ranks among the global leaders in undeveloped rare earth elements, with massive deposits in areas like Kvanefjeld and Tanbreez. Northern Sweden, Norway and Finland host active and developing projects for copper, cobalt, lithium, and other critical metals.Katainen, who served as Competitiveness Commissioner during Jean-Claude Juncker&#8217;s tenure as Commission president, argued that relying on Beijing for materials essential to industries including wind power is no longer sustainable, either environmentally or from an economic security perspective.Instead, Katainen suggested, the answer is not simply to open more mines \u2014 since Europe already has mineral deposits and mining projects, particularly in northern Europe \u2014 but to invest in processing capacity, a particular weak point for the bloc.According to data from the digital intelligence platform Energy Solutions Intelligence, as of August 2026, the EU extracts roughly 3% of its critical raw material needs, processes roughly 15%, and recycles about 10%, leaving a structural deficit of 7%, 25%, and 15% respectively, compared to the bloc&#8217;s binding goals.EU processing hub in Northern EuropeIn his Tuesday remarks, Katainen proposed what he described as a \u201ccentral kitchen\u201d model, potentially located in northern Sweden or Finland, where raw materials extracted from different European mines could be processed and separated into individual rare earth elements.The idea would create a European processing hub that could feed multiple industries while reducing reliance on Chinese processing.&#8221;I&#8217;ve been building a model (&#8230;) which takes all the raw materials, the rocks, and separates different rare earth elements from each other. And in order to make this happen, we need to ask you to regulate prices, organise stockpiling facilities for those elements, and provide some investment support,&#8221; the former commissioner said.Such projects will require more than private capital, he warned. As a template, he pointed to the InvestEU model, a program designed to boost the bloc&#8217;s economy by triggering massive private investments.In 2021, the EU announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in the Arctic and vowed to protect the environment in the region. The bloc also opened a European Commission office in Greenland in March 2024.Katainen suggested that, beyond minerals, Europe should consider new forms of\u00a0public-private cooperation and burden-sharing\u00a0for Arctic infrastructure, including icebreakers.Currently, Russia operates more than 50 icebreakers, including 7 nuclear-powered units, which is more than all other countries combined. Expensive icebreaking vessels could serve several purposes at once, the Finnish EU official said, supporting security operations while also acting as research platforms and collecting environmental and other data.The indigenous questionHowever, the strategic push into the Arctic forces the bloc into a delicate balancing act: securing natural resources without repeating the unsustainable extractive approach it criticises elsewhere.On Tuesday, one young Arctic resident challenged Katainen over what she described as the impunity with which countries such as the US, Russia and, to some extent, China operate in the region. She questioned whether the EU\u2019s language about becoming \u201cincreasingly dependent\u201d on the Arctic risked turning local communities and resources into instruments of European economic security.In response, the EU envoy acknowledged that Europe needs a more coherent Arctic policy precisely because its dependence is growing. He also suggested the EU&#8217;s industry is &#8220;the most sustainable by far compared to other industries&#8221;.&#8221;It is the whole value for us. But we have to also pay attention to our economic security and sustainability in that sense,&#8221; Katainen warned.He floated the idea of an\u00a0EU-wide Arctic &#8220;neighbourhood policy&#8221;, a mechanism\u00a0that would give non-Arctic EU member states a greater say in Arctic policy while providing a framework for using EU funds in the region.Norway, Iceland, Canada, and potentially the United Kingdom could be key non-EU partners, particularly when it comes to research and infrastructure.The former Commissioner linked the neighbourhood policy to better dialogue with\u00a0local and indigenous communities, arguing that the EU needs their input on where investment should go and how sustainability should be ensured.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/09\/01\/arctic-emerges-as-new-front-in-eus-effort-to-cut-dependence-on-chinese-critical-raw-materi&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/67\/69\/1200x675_cmsv2_b6d3c48f-d558-5170-8a9f-057a4d572852-9896769.jpg&#8221;] Europe News Orb\u00e1n-founded Brussels think tank MCC Brussels to close Europe News Improvised explosive devices found near German power plant, police say No Comment South London Hindu temple prays for missing members after deadly floods in Nepal Kyrgyzstan World Nomad Games open in Bishkek before an audience of world leaders Europe News [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2122250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2122250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122250\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2122250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2122250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2122250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}