The RESourceEU Action Plan responds to a new reality marked by rising geopolitical risks, concentrated supply chains, and growing demand for critical raw materials essential to the EU’s competitiveness, clean energy transition, digital transformation, defence readiness, and food security. Building on the Critical Raw Materials Act, the Action Plan aims to accelerate progress towards supply security objectives, reduce excessive dependencies on single suppliers, and strengthen the resilience of the EU economy.

A key pillar of the Action Plan is the protection of the Single Market in times of disruption. In this context, the Commission places strong emphasis on the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act. As of its entry into force, the IMERA framework provides a structured toolbox to manage crises affecting critical raw materials value chains. This includes vigilance and emergency modes that allow the Commission, together with Member States, to request information on production capacities and stocks, identify supply chain disruptions or shortages, and coordinate responses across the Union. The toolbox also enables joint purchasing, the use of priority-rated requests, and the coordination of stockpiling and distribution when necessary.

The Action Plan underlines that protecting the Single Market requires Member States to act together rather than in isolation. Monitoring obligations under the Critical Raw Materials Act already support early detection of risks, while stress-testing of strategic supply chains and joint exercises help strengthen preparedness, particularly for rare earth elements and defence-related raw materials. This coordinated approach is intended to limit fragmentation, prevent unilateral measures, and maintain the free movement of goods during crises.

Beyond crisis response, the Commission also signals the need to shield the EU from hostile interference and harmful market practices that could undermine supply continuity. Measures linked to foreign direct investment screening, restrictions in EU funding programmes, and cooperation with international partners complement the IMERA toolbox by addressing structural vulnerabilities in critical raw materials markets. Taken together, these actions are designed to ensure that supply disruptions do not translate into wider disruptions for European industry, retail supply chains, and consumers.