The Guide to the Role of Trade Agreements in European Raw Materials Security
The EU needs many mineral and metallic raw materials in order to switch energy supply, transport and industry to propulsion and supply of renewable energies, thus advancing the green transformation foreseen in the European Green Deal. Through trade instruments, such as a Critical Raw Materials Club or the Global Gateway investment project launched in 2021, the EU is trying to secure access to these much-needed and highly-demanded raw materials. In addition, the EU has concluded strategic raw materials partnerships with several countries and others are under negotiation. Trade agreements also play an important role in securing raw materials. The energy and raw material chapters enshrined in these agreements, which are intended to reduce trade and investment barriers and promote the extraction of raw materials, lead to an expansion of extractive projects.
However, the EU's approach is at odds with a global just green transformation. Why and how trade agreements exacerbate global injustices and the social and environmental impact of extracting raw materials such as lithium on people and the environment in the Global South are highlighted in our latest guide “Global Just Green Transformation? The role of trade agreements for European raw materials security”. This was developed in cooperation with ATTAC Germany, ATTAC Austria, Anders Handel, Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung and Naturfreunde Deutschland.
Find out more about our work on the EU-Mercosur Agreement and trade policy in general here.
