EU plans to stockpile critical minerals amid rising global risks

The European Union is preparing to build strategic reserves of key raw materials as a precaution against potential supply chain disruptions, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, July 5, citing a draft document from the European Commission.

According to the report, the EU is facing an increasingly complex and deteriorating global environment, marked by rising geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, climate change, environmental degradation, and growing cyber threats.

The draft strategy calls on EU member states to coordinate emergency stockpiles not only of food and medicine but also of nuclear fuel. It also recommends accelerating efforts to build reserves of essential components and materials, such as cable repair kits, rare earth elements, and permanent magnets—critical to both energy infrastructure and defense systems.

This initiative forms part of a broader security and resilience strategy aimed at reducing Europe’s dependency on external suppliers and enhancing its ability to respond to crises.