The Executive Chairman of Metlen Energy & Metals, Evangelos Mytilineos, commenting on Ursula von der Leyen’s speech, stressed that the EU’s industrial future depends on turning strategies into actual investments.

In a LinkedIn post, he described the initiative for a European Critical Raw Materials Company as positive, stressing the need to move from identifying weaknesses to strengthening domestic capabilities — including mining, processing and recycling — as well as international partnerships.

He also pointed out that the final state of the green transition differs from the transition period. As the EU will continue to consume large quantities of oil and natural gas through 2030 and 2035, hydrocarbons will directly affect energy costs and industry.

Referring also to the Draghi report, he noted that Europe cannot wait for infrastructure to be completed before protecting its competitiveness. He called for a unified European strategy with common funding, rather than fragmented national measures, stressing that competitiveness is the prerequisite for achieving the transition, not its outcome.