“The risk of war in Europe is already there,” said Thierry Burkhard, head of the French army staff, this Friday, July 11. The latter requested an “conscience”, which already seems effective in the port of Rotterdam (Netherlands), the most important in Europe (436 million tons of load every year).
The port authorities are preparing for a possible conflict with Russia according to the Financial Times. Specifically, the port of Rotterdam is activated to be ready if it was necessary to land there of the large amounts of military teams.
For the first time, already request from NATO, a port of the port will be dedicated to the landfill of the military load, which had not been the case during the Cold War according to the Daily Economic. One or more ships will be tied there several times a year.
The port of Rotterdam has also strengthened its cooperation with its great rival: the port of Antwerp.
The latter adds that the two entities are considered “less and less as competitors.”
Beyond the ports, the European Union also works to eliminate administrative obstacles, to facilitate the transport of military teams between the Member States by road and railways. In 2022, the French Lecler tanks that went to Romania had been temporarily prevented from passing through Germany for administrative reasons.
Lack of stocks
The director of the Port of Rotterdam also indicates working with his counterpart in Antwerp to improve Europe’s self -sufficiency in strategic goods.
He believes that the European Union should increase its actions “elements such as copper, lithium, graphite and several of these essential raw materials.” These additional actions could be created around large ports.
Among the last examples of this weakness of European actions: significant tensions in rare earth supplies were observed again in June, while export restrictions were implemented in China.
Beijing has quasi-monopoly in the production of magnets, made of rare land. These are essential for the operation of many industries, starting with the car.
Rare metals largely controlled by China are also essential for the manufacture of certain military equipment, such as missiles or combat planes.
A recent New York Times has demonstrated the very high dependence of Western industrialists in the Samario Armament sector, a rare metal historically refined in a French factory, in La Rochelle, which closed its doors in 1994. The American newspaper points out that China has produced from the actions of all the world.
Source: BFM TV
