Supply chain risks in the EU's energy technologies : terms of reference

In more recent years, the European Commission has placed much focus on the supply chain risks of clean energy technologies (CET). The subject's first direct assessment came as a result of the Joint Research Centre's (JRC) Critical Raw Materials studies, from 2016 onwards, which has received its latest update in 2023. In between, the EC has also developed the Critical Raw Materials act - an initiative to strengthen the European Union's capabilities with regard to clean energy technologies, at all stages, from raw materials to decommissioning. The focus on the supply chains of clean energy technologies became especially strong during the REPowerEU plan, which followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and threatened Europe's access to important energy inputs. More recently, on March 16, 2023, the European Commission adopted the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which details a series of measures to boost the manufacturing step of clean energy technologies in the EU. These measures aim at strengthening the manufacturing of components and manufacturing and/or assembly of devices for clean energy technologies. The end-goal is to improve the security of clean energy supply chains, for technologies that are technologically mature, have high contribution towards greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals, and may face risks for security of supply and/or competitiveness of EU production.