| ID | 196196 |
| Title Proper | Achieving European Union strategic autonomy |
| Other Title Information | circularity in critical raw materials value chains |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Jakimów, Małgorzata |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Why is it important to understand the potential of circular economy for security? With the green transition in full swing and vulnerabilities in value chains as a consequence of the COVID–19 pandemic and Russian aggression towards Ukraine, this question has never been more timely.
Titanium metal constitutes a poignant case, as it is a critical raw material essential for the strategic civil aerospace and defence sectors. In addition, circular economy solutions constitute a viable solution to mitigate import dependencies in the case of this particular raw material.
The European Union, with one of the largest aviation industries globally, is dependent on titanium imports from Russia and the United States. The latter, in turn, (re)imports titanium scrap from EU aviation manufacturing to increase material efficiency and reduce costs through recycling.
Based on extensive stakeholder interviews across several countries and quantitative trade data, this article presents a first-time analysis of how, in the case of the titanium value chain, circular economy solutions can support the EU Open Strategic Autonomy (OSA) objectives, as enshrined in the 2023 Critical Raw Materials Act. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Affairs Vol. 100, No.4; Jul 2024: p.1735–1748 |
| Key Words | Europe ; Russia and Eurasia ; Energy and Environment ; Political Economy and Economics |