The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament calls on the Commission to respond to the Chinese export controls on critical raw materials with countermeasures, ranging from imposing export restrictions of strategic goods for which China is dependent on the EU, to leveraging Chinese access to the EU market. EU’s total dependency on China for its digital and green transition, which extends beyond CRMs and permanent magnets, poses serious threats on our economy and security. The EU can no longer be at Beijing’s mercy and must diversify imports of CRMs to strengthen the resilience of its supply chain. Speaking today in plenary, Renew Europe MEP Bart Groothuis (VVD, The Netherlands), who negotiates a resolution on tackling China's critical raw materials export restrictions on behalf of our political group, stated: “Europe faces dual coercion: Trump’s tariffs and more threateningly: China’s strategic chokehold on rare earth exports. In weeks, our critical factories have closed or rely on dwindling stockpiles. Beijing has escalation dominance and is not afraid to use it to destabilize the EU. This is not collateral damage from the China-USA dispute, this is intentional to hit Europe. Without rare earths or magnets, no digital transition, no green transition, and above all no rearmament. Foreign Minister Wang told Kallas that Russia cannot lose its war of aggression. It is the defence industry which is being squeezed now. Europe needs to respond strongly and leverage its own strategic exports and market access to counter Chinese blackmailing. We have to use every tool in the economic toolbox. Leverage what we have, or we have no leverage at all. The European Commission should respond with force, not appeasement. New coercion must be avoided.” Renew Europe MEP Engin Eroglu (Freie Wähler, Germany), Chair of the Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China, said: "Anyone who sources 98% of their critical raw materials from a state classified as a systemic rival makes themselves politically vulnerable to blackmail – and economically vulnerable. Europe’s near-total dependence on China is the result of gross political missteps – by the Commission and member states alike.” Renew Europe MEP, Hilde Vautmans (Open Vld, Belgium), EP standing rapporteur on China, added: “We need to innovate fast and mine more responsibly here in Europe. That also means investing in new technologies—like batteries that need less or no lithium—and backing European companies that are leading the way. At the same time, we must build fair and reliable supply chains with partners like those in Africa, and do much better at recycling and using the circular economy.” MEP Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, (Mouvement Démocrate, France), Renew Europe Group’s Coordinator in the Committee on International Trade, concluded: “On this 50th anniversary of EU-China relations and ahead of the upcoming Summit, we must examine the depth and reality of our relationship, with the principle of reciprocity as our guiding principle. Today, our industries are facing difficulties due to restrictions on the import of rare Chinese critical materials and overcapacity, particularly in the steel sector. If the situation persists or worsens, we will have to respond to this economic coercion with the instruments at our disposal.” | 
