This policy brief “From Mines To Markets: How Africa And Europe Can Become Green Industry Partners Of Choice” by The European Council on Foreign Relations concludes:
- Europeans are searching for secure sources of critical raw materials as global supply chains become increasingly contested.
- Some African governments wish to obtain greater benefit from this growing demand and are restricting the export of raw materials to force local value-addition, such as in-country processing and manufacturing.
- The EU should take a clearer stance on which aspects of the critical raw materials value chain it wants to participate in within Africa whether upstream, midstream, or downstream processing.
- Decision-makers in Europe can best position themselves by providing financing instruments to de-risk and catalyse the private sector investments that will unlock the local production and value addition prioritised by African policymakers.
- Europeans should also pursue a regional approach by connecting individual projects to bigger systems, as exemplified by the Lobito corridor in the DRC, Zambia, and Angola.
- The EU can also distinguish itself as a partner by pushing for the stricter application of environmental, social, and governance principles, in contrast to the lower standards generally delivered by geopolitical rivals.
Access the complete brief here
