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'Global race for critical raw materials is about power' - Commission

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 886 words · By Marta Pacheco
Strategic Autonomy Environmental Regulation vs. Economic Competitiveness EU-China Geopolitical Rivalry
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What to know about Strategic Autonomy

The European Commission official framed access to critical raw materials as a 'vital investment' for long-term economic resilience, helping the European Union avoid future supply shocks.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The European Commission official framed access to critical raw materials as a 'vital investment' for long-term economic resilience, helping the European Union avoid future supply shocks.

Why it matters

The global race for critical raw materials is no longer about mineral access, but about power, the head of the European Commission's department for international partnerships, Koen Doens, said on Wednesday, amid the bloc's high dependence on China.

Common ground

The senior Commission official's remarks come as the European Union is struggling to diversify its supply of critical raw materials, deemed crucial for the development of clean technologies.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/20/global-race-for-critical-raw-mater…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Fear 70% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 60% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified Verified 1
schedule Pending 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
info
Claim 1: “the bloc to forge 16 partnerships to date with various nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, the United States, and Zambia”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms the EU's focus on the DRC and Zambia (Lobito Corridor), there is no specific confirmation of the exact number '16 partnerships' across the provided sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo or less often Zaire, is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is the second-largest …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Con…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Lobito Corridor is a railway and logistics infrastructure project that aims to connect the Port of Lobito on the Atlantic coast of Angola to the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobito_Corridor
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Second M23 rebellion is an ongoing series of military offensives launched by the March 23 Movement (M23), a Rwandan-backed rebel paramilitary group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M23_campaign_(2022–present)
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 2: “the head of the European Commission's department for international partnerships, Koen Doens, said on Wednesday”
VERIFIED
Multiple web search results explicitly identify Koen Doens as the Director-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Racso Jugarap (born January 15, 1989) is a Filipino Belgian wire artist from General Santos, Philippines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racso_Jugarap
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the Netherlands are a series of demonstrations, encampments, and building occupations by students and staff at Dutch universities, demanding…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_pro-Palestinian_protests_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eelco Heinen (born 27 April 1981) is a Dutch politician serving as Minister of Finance since 2 July 2024. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he held a seat in the House of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eelco_Heinen
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “The Commission decision to reopen the Water Framework Directive prompted 27 lawmakers to send a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 4: “In recent years, most recently in 2025, Beijing has repeatedly halted or restricted exports of rare earths to the EU”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results for China are general encyclopedic entries and do not mention specific export restrictions occurring in 2025.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — China, [h] officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), [i] is a country in East Asia. It is the second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, representing 17%…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · China, the largest of all Asian countries, occupies nearly the entire East Asian landmass and covers approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth, making it almost as large as th…
https://www.britannica.com/place/China
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Latest China news, opinions and analysis, covering Xi Jinping, Beijing's relations with Taiwan and China's tensions with the US.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china
info
Claim 5: “according to the European Parliament's research department, the EU collectively depends on Beijing for roughly 90% of its raw materials and 98% of its rare-earth magnets”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence discusses EU dependence on China for rare earths generally, but does not specifically cite the European Parliament's research department or the exact figures of 90% for raw materials and 98% for magnets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The European Parliament has legislative power in that the adoption of EU legislation normally requires its approval, and that of the Council, in what amounts to a bicameral legislature.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Parliament
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The rare earths cerium and lanthanum are also needed in the context of electromobility, for example, as components of catalytic converters as well as in hybrid vehicles’ batteries. Meanwhile, europium…
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/eu-depends-china-russi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The US is urging the EU to fully adopt Washington’s more hawkish policy on China, a senior EU official said on Monday, amid growing speculation that the bloc could impose tougher measures on Beijing i…
https://www.euractiv.com/news/us-wants-eu-to-follow-us-100-o…
help
Claim 6: “the Commission has recently proposed opening up recently adopted EU water rules, under what it dubbed a "de-risking strategy"”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the Commission proposing to open up water rules as a 'de-risking strategy'.
help
Claim 7: “the think tank European Union Institute for Security Studies (EU ISS) proposed creating an "allied industrial bloc"”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the EU ISS proposing an 'allied industrial bloc'.
info
Claim 8: “Doens told an audience at the EIT Raw Materials Summit in Brussels”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided for this claim are irrelevant (adult content) and do not contain any information regarding Koen Doens or the EIT Raw Materials Summit.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Welcome to TXXX—your spot for Free Porn! Enjoy Full Length videos that hit all the right spots. Ads are a thing of the past!
https://www.txxx.porn/most-popular/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New Petite young Latina loses her virginity for the first time with her horny stepbrothers naughty until she finishes with his cum SEX BY PR feat.
https://www.sxyprn.com/new.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Watch the most popular xxx videos with amateur teens, big boobs, threesome sex, juicy milfs and many more. Daily updates at GoodPornVids.com.
https://goodpornvids.com/
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Claim 9: “the EU set out domestic targets to increase the availability of critical raw materials by 2030 — 10% of extraction, 40% of refining and 15% of recycling — under rules adopted in 2024”
CORROBORATED
The Critical Raw Materials Act (adopted in 2024) is confirmed. Web results specify the 10% extraction target and the 2030 timeline, although one source mentions a 25% recycling target instead of 15%, the general framework of the 2024 Act and the 2030 targets are corroborated.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 2030 (MMXXX) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2030th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 30th year of the 3rd millennium and the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2030
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Union (EU) climate neutral in 2050. The plan is to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Green_Deal
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saudi Vision 2030 (Arabic: رؤية السعودية ۲۰۳۰, romanized: Ruʾyat al-Suʿūdiyyah ʿIšrīn/ʾAlfān wa Ṯalāṯīn, sometimes called Project 2030) is a government initiative launched on 25 April 2016 by the Saud…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Vision_2030
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 10: “China accounts for 60% of global production of critical raw materials and 90% of refining capacity”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm China's dominance in refining (80-90%) and its significant share in mining/production (60-70% for rare earths).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Similarly, just 5% of global nickel and cobalt output originates from China, yet the country commands near-total control over their refining. According to the IEA, the combined market share of the top…
https://www.turkiyetoday.com/business/trade-war-to-cripple-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — China controls 80-90% of the mineral refining necessary for AI, energy. The core of the problem lies in processing rather than mining. Tindale explains that China has seized control of 80% to 90% of t…
https://blockspace.media/insight/how-chinas-export-controls-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Industry analysts note that China currently controls roughly 60% to 70% of global rare earth mining and close to 90% of refining capacity, while also dominating processing for lithium, cobalt, and gra…
https://www.marketspy.com/news/u-s-moves-to-build-global-cri…
verified
Claim 11: “These deals were agreed under the EU's strategic plan to invest in infrastructure abroad, the so-called Global Gateway”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and official EU sources confirm that the Global Gateway is the EU's strategy for investing in infrastructure projects worldwide, including those related to raw materials and the Lobito Corridor.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 7th African Union–European Union Summit is a meeting of heads of state and government from the member states of the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), held in Luanda, Angola, on 24–25…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7th_European_Union–African_Uni…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Global Gateway Initiative is a strategy by the European Union to invest in infrastructure projects worldwide. The project was initiated by the EU Commission under the leadership of Ursula von der …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Gateway
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Lobito Corridor is a railway and logistics infrastructure project that aims to connect the Port of Lobito on the Atlantic coast of Angola to the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobito_Corridor
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.