https://apnews.com/808c4cd2b37c357b74404c37c03affaf

BRUSSELS (AP) — Worried by an increasing dependency on the raw materials used to make smart phones, televisions and energy-saving lights, the European Union on Thursday launched a new strategy to secure access to rare earth minerals and to reduce reliance on suppliers like Chile, China and South Africa.

The EU is predicted to need around 60 times more lithium and 15 times more cobalt for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage by 2050. Its demand for rare earth materials in permanent magnets used in several technologies could increase 10-fold over the same period.