Whilst scientists have been emphasising the need to reduce Europe’s demand for raw materials for decades, political narratives have focused primarily on securing the supply of raw materials. A recent analysis based on 183 policy documents (2000–2024) has examined this contradiction and found that most stakeholders in the EU do not see any viable alternatives to supply-oriented approaches.
This is a consequence of EU policy, which gives priority to supply-side measures. The analysis of the EU’s raw materials discourse shows that the 2024 Critical Raw Materials Act represents the culmination of a narrative on security of supply that has remained remarkably consistent for almost 25 years. Securing resources has been framed as a matter of competitiveness, thereby pushing calls for demand reduction, self-sufficiency and resource justice into the background.
The analysis therefore proposes strategies for developing narratives aimed at reducing demand for raw materials, with a view to facilitating their political implementation.
