EU selects 47 strategic projects to secure critical minerals access

The European Union (EU) has published its first list of strategic projects strengthening the local extraction, processing, and recycling of 14 of the 17 materials it deems critical for its energy transition and security.The selection of the 47 projects mark a key step in implementing the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which sets targets for 2030, including extracting 10% of the EU’s annual consumption, processing 40%, and recycling 25% of these essential materials.“Europe currently depends on third countries for many of the raw materials it needs the most. We must increase our own production, diversify our external supply, and make stockpiles,” EU executive vice-president for prosperity and industrial strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, said.The selected projects span 13 EU member states — Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Estonia, Czechia, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Poland, and Romania. They focus on key metals and minerals such as aluminium, boron, copper, cobalt, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earths.Of the 47 initiatives, 25 involve extraction, 24 focus on processing, and 10 are dedicated to recycling, with some covering multiple functions, the European Commission, which is the EU executive body, said.The 47 strategic projects. (Image courtesy of European Commission.)The CRMA entered into force in May last year and the Commission immediately opened applications for projects considered strategic to the bloc, including those outside the EU.Lithium features in 22 of the selected projects, followed by 12 for nickel, 11 for graphite, 10 for cobalt, and seven for manganese, bolstering the battery supply chain. A magnesium project and three tungsten initiatives will support the EU’s defence industry.More project lists will follow to address remaining critical materials, including ventures beyond EU borders. The selected projects will benefit from streamlined permitting, with a maximum process of 27 months for mining and 15 months for processing or recycling—an attempt to bypass regulatory bottlenecks that have delayed green projects across the bloc.A financing group will also help fast-track these capital-intensive initiatives, offering public guarantees from national banks, the European Investment Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to attract private investment.The European Commission plans to open a new application process for additional strategic projects before the end of the summer, creating further opportunities for investment and development in the raw materials sector.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com