Overview
- In a Strasbourg address to the European Parliament, the Commission president said a crisis in supplies of critical raw materials is no longer a distant risk.
- She cautioned that the EU often sources key inputs from a single third country, citing the lessons of Europe’s past energy dependence on Russia.
- Von der Leyen identified materials vital for microchips, wind turbines and batteries as priority vulnerabilities for European industry.
- She reiterated a planned “Made‑in‑Europe” procurement criterion intended to steer public contracts toward domestically produced clean products.
- Public purchasing accounts for roughly 14% of EU GDP, and she said the Commission stands ready to propose additional measures to bolster economic security.