While the U.S., India, and countries in the Persian Gulf are all moving quickly to establish new critical mineral supply chains, the European Union is struggling to follow suit, particularly in Africa. The EU currently lacks a cohesive policy framework that would bolster mining companies, support partner countries, and encourage the development of a mineral processing sector that can lessen Europe's current dependence on China.
To do this, the EU should follow China's model in Africa, where it paired extraction with the development of vital infrastructure, according to a new commentary from the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM).
The authors, Poorva Karkare and Karim Karaki, join Eric & Géraud from Brussels to explain why the EU should strive for strategic complementarity rather than competition with China in Africa.
SHOW NOTES:
- ECDPM: The EU’s playbook for African minerals amid China’s dominance) by Poorva Karkare and Karim Karaki
- AFRICA POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE: The tumultuous path toward EU-China-Africa trilateral cooperation on Critical Raw Materials in Africa) by C. Géraud Neema
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