During the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, Anna Zalewska spoke in a debate on the effective use of the EU’s trade and industrial policies to counter China’s export restrictions.
The MEP recalled that during the previous term she had repeatedly called for caution in implementing elements of the Green Deal, pointing to the risk of excessive dependence on Chinese raw materials and components. “I warned and asked questions. Despite the complete disregard of the Commission and my colleagues on the Committee on the Environment, projects were implemented that made us absolutely dependent on China,” Zalewska emphasized.
During the debate, the MEP presented the commissioner with a document containing a strategy and analysis developed by Polish scientists and experts. She said it includes recommendations for actions the EU should take immediately to increase resilience and autonomy in the area of raw materials. Zalewska highlighted the need to develop European mining projects, establish a European Raw Materials Fund modeled on Japanese and Korean solutions, strengthening the European Value Chain, and expanding partnerships with democratic countries rich in raw materials. She also emphasized the need to include raw materials projects on the list of strategic infrastructure, diversifying import sources, increasing the capacity to monitor risks in supply chains, and revising the EU’s energy transition strategy to ensure it is realistic and secure.
“I am leaving the full analysis with the Commissioner. Commissioner von der Leyen has already received it along with a letter,” the MEP concluded.
