The EU depends on imports for almost 100% of its processed lithium.

Omissions

• The 100% figure refers specifically to the PROCESSING (refining) stage; at the extraction stage EU import dependency is lower (81%), because some lithium ore is mined inside the EU (e.g. Portugal) but not refined domestically.
• The underlying data come from the Commission's 2023 critical raw materials study/factsheet, i.e. the figure is structural and stable rather than a fresh 2025/2026 statistic; no newer official dependency figure for processed lithium was found before the session date.
• The MEP's phrasing 'almost 100% – some would even say 100%' is consistent with the official factsheet, which gives exactly 100% for the processing stage, so the hedge is if anything conservative.
• Import dependency on processed lithium is largely a dependency on China, which dominates global refining capacity; the speaker did not mention this origin, though it is the standard context in Commission documents.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission — Strategic Raw Materials factsheet: Lithium (DG GROW)'EU Dependency: Extraction stage: 81%. Processing stage: 100%.' (factsheet also notes 'EU demand of lithium is expected to reach 58 000 tonnes per year in 2030', drawing on the Study on the Critical Raw Materials for the EU 2023)
• PrimaryEurostat — Statistics Explained: International trade in critical raw materials'EU lithium carbonates imports have shown strong volatility, with volumes declining from 15.0 thousand tonnes in 2019 to 8.2 thousand tonnes in 2025.' — Eurostat data showing the EU's lithium supply is met through imports of processed lithium compounds rather than domestic refining