The European Union may receive the right to buy shares in raw materials companies. The delegates of the European Parliament propose to establish a dedicated agency, which, if necessary, such as the United States and Japan, will be able to purchase shares in companies engaged in the production of raw materials. According to the Financial Times, the initiative aims to protect European industry and reduce dependence on external suppliers. Last week, members of the European Parliament voted in favor of an initiative to establish a so-called center for critical raw materials. "European projects are extremely sensitive to market conditions and prices in the world, which can be manipulated by global players," the newspaper quotes Dutch parliamentarian Mohamed Shahim. The United States and Japan, which have invested in securing supplies of such minerals, are "much less vulnerable," he said. Proposals to establish an agency and to purchase shares "under exceptional circumstances" must be approved by the member states of the European Union.