The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has issued a stark assessment: the EU’s ambition to secure sufficient critical raw materials for its renewable energy transition by 2030 ‘appears out of touch with reality’. Released on 2 February 2026, the ECA report highlights serious shortcomings in the EU’s strategy to guarantee supply chains for lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earths—key inputs for clean energy technologies. Currently, over 70% of these materials are concentrated in a handful of third countries, notably China, Turkey, and Chile. The ECA warns that this heavy external dependency undermines energy sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, and strategic autonomy. Although the EU adopted the Critical Raw Materials Act in 2024 targeting 26 strategic minerals, the ECA finds its 2030 targets vague, non-binding, and narrowly scoped. Progress on international partnerships is stalled—negotiations with the US were suspended in 2024, and agreements with Mercosur remain unimplemented. Recycling targets—25% of strategic materials from recycled sources by 2030—are also deemed highly unlikely, as recycling rates for seven key materials range between just 1% and 5%, while ten others are not recycled at all. Domestic mining aims—to cover 10% of EU demand—face long timelines: up to 20 years may pass between exploration and operational production. Similarly, the goal of processing 40% of critical raw materials within the EU by 2030 lacks credible implementation pathways, according to the auditors.
EU Court of Auditors: 2030 Critical Raw Materials Goal Appears Unrealistic
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