• The EU’s lithium strategy in Latin America is strong in diplomacy but weak in investment. • Across the lithium global value chain, Europe is losing influence in terms of establishing efficient policy frameworks and ownership structures. • Sustainability and ESG standards, without parallel investment and risk-sharing, are perceived by lithium stakeholders in Latin America as compliance burdens rather than partnership incentives. • The EU can only achieve its goal of strategic autonomy by transforming its role from that of a standard-setter to that of a cooperative investor in key ‘green’ industries. Against this background, cooperation with Latin American partners requires that European instruments be more closely aligned with their industrial development strategies.
Beatriz Calzada Olvera (Fri,) studied this question.