On 14 July 2026, EU Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall addressed the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in New York, arguing that the circular economy is a strategic necessity for securing resilient, sustainable, and fair supply chains. Roswall stressed that increasing extraction alone is insufficient, stating 'we cannot dig our way out of this problem.' She called for designing products that are more durable, repairable, and easier to reuse, and for high-quality recycling of batteries, electronic waste, and mining waste.
Roswall's speech contained no new concrete proposals, numerical targets, deadlines, or budget figures. Instead, she offered broad commitments and declarative support for the recommendations of the UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, which the European Commission co-chaired. She welcomed the Panel's recommendations on material efficiency and circular economy, and pledged to turn them into action. The speech reaffirmed the EU's existing approach under the Critical Raw Materials Act, which reinforces domestic capacities and builds strategic partnerships, and referenced EU laws on batteries and sustainable product design as contributing to resilient value chains.
On international cooperation, Roswall emphasised that the EU will continue building partnerships that diversify supply, create local value, support innovation, and uphold high environmental and social standards. The speech did not shift the EU's stance towards a more assertive or demanding approach vis-à-vis third countries; rather, it maintained a conciliatory and cooperative tone, calling for joint action to implement the Panel's recommendations. The address was largely a reaffirmation of existing EU policy orientations, with no measurable new policy direction or institutional changes announced.