Recital 2

(2) Given the complexity and the transnational character of critical raw material value chains, uncoordinated national measures to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials risk undermining the functioning of the internal market. Critical raw materials are often extracted in specific countries or regions, depending on the geographical distribution of relevant reserves, transported for further processing elsewhere and then sold across the internal market for use in relevant products. At the processing stage, critical raw materials are often imported and exported several times within the internal market before use in a final application. Similarly, the end-of-life recycling of relevant products with a view to the recovery of critical raw materials can take place in a country or a region different from that where the waste is collected, and the resulting secondary raw materials are likely to be re-exported for further processing and use. Moreover, critical raw materials are needed at the beginning of many industrial value chains and are often indispensable inputs for a wide set of strategic sectors including renewable energy, the digital industry, and the aerospace and defence sectors. They therefore play an essential role in underpinning economic activities in the internal market, and supply disruptions could have a significant cross-border impact between Member States.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.