European Commission Selects 47 Projects To Secure Access To Strategic Raw Materials

BRUSSELS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Mar, 2025) The European Commission has, for the first time, approved a list of 47 strategic projects aimed at strengthening domestic capacities for strategic raw materials. These projects are set to enhance the EU’s raw material value chain and diversify its sources of supply.

The newly selected strategic projects represent a major step in the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which targets meeting 10 percent of the EU's demand through extraction, 40 percent through processing, and 25 percent through recycling of strategic raw materials within Europe by 2030.

By supporting these goals, the projects will play a vital role in advancing the EU’s green and digital transitions while bolstering the defence and aerospace industries.

The 47 projects span 13 EU member states: Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Estonia, Czech Republic, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Poland, and Romania. They cover one or more segments of the raw materials value chain, including 25 focused on extraction, 24 on processing, 10 on recycling, and two on substitution.

The projects collectively address 14 of the 17 strategic raw materials listed under the CRMA. This includes 22 lithium projects, 12 for nickel, 10 for cobalt, 7 for manganese, and 11 for graphite — materials critical to the EU battery value chain.

These initiatives are expected to enable the EU to fully meet its 2030 targets for the extraction, processing, and recycling of lithium and cobalt, with substantial progress anticipated in graphite, nickel, and manganese.

Other projects involving magnesium (one project) and tungsten (three projects) are set to reinforce the EU’s defence sector, which heavily relies on these materials.

The projects were selected based on their contribution to securing the EU’s raw material supply, compliance with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, technical feasibility, and demonstrated cross-border benefits.

The total capital investment required to operationalise the 47 strategic projects is estimated at €22.5 billion. They will receive coordinated support from the European Commission, EU member states, and financial institutions, particularly in areas such as securing financing and engaging with key stakeholders.

The selected projects will also benefit from streamlined permitting procedures, ensuring predictability for developers while maintaining strong ESG standards. Under the CRMA, permitting for extraction projects will be limited to a maximum of 27 months, and 15 months for other project types — a significant reduction from the current five- to ten-year timeframe.

The Critical Raw Materials Act entered into force on 23rd May, 2024. On the same day, the Commission launched a call for strategic project proposals, with a submission deadline of 22nd August, 2024.

Applications deemed complete were evaluated by the Commission with support from external experts, assessing compliance with CRMA criteria. The list of selected projects was finalised following consultations with the Critical Raw Materials board — which includes EU member states and European Parliament representatives — on 20th February and 12th March, 2025.

The Commission also received proposals from projects based in third countries, with decisions on their potential selection to be made at a later stage. A new call for strategic project proposals is expected to be announced by the end of summer.