Strategic Autonomy and the Green Transition: Geoeconomic Trade-offs in the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Policy
Strategic Autonomy and the Green Transition: Geoeconomic Trade-offs in the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Policy

Author(s): Virginia Zhelyazkova
Subject(s): Economy, Green Transformation
Published by: Институт за икономически изследвания при Българска академия на науките
Summary/Abstract: The European Union's pursuit of strategic autonomy in the context of its green transition has placed critical raw materials at the heart of geoeconomic policy. This paper examines the tensions between the EU’s internal ambitions for resource sovereignty and its external commitments to sustainable development, open trade, and global integration. Focusing on the Critical Raw Materials Act and its strategic targets, the study explores how the EU attempts to reduce dependencies–particularly on China–while promoting circularity, innovation, and resilience across supply chains. The analysis highlights the emerging trade-offs between security of supply and environmental sustainability, especially in the sourcing and processing of raw materials in non-EU countries, including those in Africa and Latin America Through a policy and literature-based approach, the paper identifies the risk of green protectionism and offers a framework for aligning geoeconomic strategy with equitable, sustainability-oriented partnerships. The findings contribute to the broader debate on how the EU can balance strategic autonomy with a cooperative and inclusive global green transition.

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