DW: Mr Bütikofer, the raw material dispute with China has come to a head a few months ago. The EU has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization with the US and Japan. What has become of it?

Bütikofer: So far, the process still hangs in the first instance. I would assume that there will be a decision later this year. It would be daring to speculate now about a result. Even if the US, Europe and Japan were to be successful in the first instance, I would suggest that there is an appeal, so we do not know before 2014 how this is actually going to be legal.

What do you specifically accuse China?

I'm not one of those who think it's particularly smart, how the EU works. The allegations relate in particular to the export restrictions implemented by China in rare earths. More specifically, when China joined the World Trade Organization, it promised that China would not introduce such export restrictions and would not comply with them. I can not judge that from my own competence. My point of view is a political one. I fear that if the EU wins the WTO, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. I think we have to switch to cooperation strategies. At the moment, it looks like Europe and China are on different sides. But forecasts indicate that China will itself become a net importer of rare earths in the foreseeable future. In this respect, it is quite conceivable that with reasonable effort you can come to common perspectives from both sides.

China has a monopoly position in production. 97 percent is mentioned. By whom should China import rare earths?

At the moment China is absolutely in the leading position. But new resources are now being developed in many different countries of the world. This goes from Vietnam, Mongolia and Kazakhstan via Namibia, Canada, Australia and the USA; there are also occurrences in Europe, for example in Greenland. The rare earths are not uncommon. Only about 30 to 35 percent of the world's resources are in China. Only in the other countries has promotion not been promoted for various reasons. That will happen now.

That is, the situation is not as dramatic as it has often been presented? The rare earths are neither rare nor scarce?

The rare earths are currently scarce. Above all, the so-called heavy rare earths have probably not been found often. But they are not geologically scarce and strategically we are by no means in a blackmail situation in which we would only have the option of either engaging with the Chinese side or simply doing what the Chinese want us to do. There are possibilities for diversification. There are technological possibilities to use rare earths much more efficiently. There are recycling strategies that were never considered before. For their part, the Chinese have a big problem with the promotion of rare earths, because there are so many polluting effects. This is, drastically speaking, often quite an environmental hype. Now Europeans and also Japanese have many technologies to offer, which could help China to overcome these difficulties. In that sense, both sides could be very useful to each other. At the international level, resource governance has to be redefined in view of the fact that it is no longer just a few industrialized countries that have access to raw materials, but that more and more countries are developing their own industries. And there Europe could take initiatives together with China, including some African countries.

So you are arguing that Europe and Japan should help China with the technology of conveying instead of indicting China?

The Japanese have already offered it. I think that's the way to go. Of course, the business must be based on reciprocity. China could provide Europe with sufficient supplies for the next ten, 15 years, when Europe will still rely heavily on Chinese rare earths, in exchange for technology transfer.

Are there already talks?

There is even a working group established between China and the European Union to discuss such issues. Unfortunately, as far as I know, this has never been done seriously, because for some diplomatic reason one could not communicate on the agenda.

The interview was conducted by Zhang Danhong.

Reinhard Bütikofer was federal chairman of Alliance 90 / The Greens. Since 2009, he is a member of the European Parliament and a member of the Committee on Energy. He has chaired the European Green Party since 2012.