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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2025/2800(RSP))

On tackling China’s critical raw materials export restrictions

B-10-2025-0331

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Ville Niinistö, Michael Bloss, Majdouline Sbai, Maria Ohisalo, Markéta Gregorová, Sara Matthieu

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament expresses concern about China's export restrictions on rare earth elements and permanent magnets, calling for no concessions and for building EU leverage. It urges resource efficiency, circularity, research, partnerships, strategic stocks, and risk-preparedness to reduce dependence on China.

Key points

  1. Expresses strong concern about China's REE export restrictions, calling them coercive and a serious escalation in trade tensions.
  2. Urges the EU not to make concessions to China in exchange for relaxation of export restrictions, and to build leverage using pressure points.
  3. States China cannot be a reliable source of critical inputs and encourages the Commission to continue de-risking.
  4. Recalls that similar Chinese restrictions in the early 2010s were found to breach WTO rules.
  5. Welcomes the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan and stresses the need for trusted source standards.
  6. Calls for a strategic EU stance on key resources, including resource efficiency mainstreamed across policies.
  7. Urges the Commission and Member States to consider resource efficiency in public policies on permanent magnets, including military supply chains.
  8. Calls for funding for research and innovation on substitution of REEs.
  9. Calls for accelerated implementation of circularity measures in the CRMA, including product design and reuse.
  10. Calls for transparency in strategic project selection and for high social and environmental standards.
  11. Stresses the importance of win-win partnerships with mineral-rich countries and binding agreements for public scrutiny.
  12. Calls for assessing strategic stocks of REEs and for companies to carry out risk-preparedness exercises.

Who is affected

  • EU industries using rare earths, such as automotive, electronics, green energy, aerospace, healthcare, and defence.
  • Large companies in strategic sectors, including defence equipment manufacturers, must conduct risk-preparedness exercises.
  • Mineral-rich countries outside the EU, including developing countries, are targeted for partnerships.

Figures and deadlines

  • China controls around 75% of mining output and 85% of processing capacity for rare earths.
  • EU covers 98% of its demand for permanent magnets with imports from China.
  • As many as 17 assembly lines in the EU experienced temporary shutdowns in May 2025.
  • CRMA benchmark aims to cover 25% of the Union's strategic raw material needs through recycling by 2030.