Description
The European Union has countered concerns over safety of supplies in critical minerals by forging strategic partnerships with key supply countries and envisioning fully circular value chains in sectors such as batteries. Shredded battery waste (‘black mass’) takes centre stage in these efforts. Large volumes of black mass currently flow out of the European market, but the EU has taken measures to stop the leakage and promote the use of recycled content in new battery production. European battery recycling lags, nevertheless, behind China and building resilience through circularity remains an elusive goal for Europe. This paper builds on interviews with key stakeholders and offers a relevant case study of how, under the auspices of the Critical Raw Material Act, Europe seeks to lessen its reliance on Chinese supplies.
