Supply-security narratives have dominated EU raw materials policy, while demand reduction has been sidelined

Abstract For decades, scientists have stressed the need to reduce Europe’s demand for raw materials, including minerals and metals. Yet, the EU has prioritized supply-side measures. The 2024 Critical Raw Materials Act, negotiated in 14 months, exemplifies this trend. Here, we provide a long-term analysis of the EU’s raw materials discourse, showing that the 2024 Critical Raw Materials Act is the culmination of a supply-security narrative that has remained remarkably consistent for almost 25 years. Securing resources has been framed as a competitiveness issue, sidelining demand reduction, sufficiency, and resource justice claims. Analyzing 183 policy documents (2000–2024), we trace how the EU’s dominant narratives evolved from neoliberal Corporate Competition (2000s) to EU as Green Frontrunner (2010s) to Strategic Autonomy amid COVID-19 and geopolitical crises. Identifying three recurring patterns, we present narrative-based explanations to supply security domination and explore strategies for intervention in contexts where reducing demand is politically unthinkable.