DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 25 March 2025
Commission selects 47 Strategic Projects to secure and diversify access to raw materials in the EU
The Commission has adopted, for the first time, a list of 47 Strategic Projects to boost domestic strategic raw material capacities, which will in turn strengthen the European raw materials value chain and diversify sources of supply. The new Strategic Projects mark an important milestone in the implementation of the Critical Raw Material Act (CRMA), which aims to ensure European extraction, processing and recycling of strategic raw materials meet 10%, 40% and 25% of EU's demand by 2030, respectively. By helping Europe meet these targets, the new Strategic Projects contribute significantly to Europe's green and digital transitions, while supporting Europe's defence industry and aerospace industries.
Overview on the selected projects
The 47 new Strategic Projects are located across 13 EU Member States: Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Estonia, Czechia, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Poland and Romania. They cover one or more segments of the raw material value chain, with 25 projects comprising extraction activities, 24 processing, 10 recycling and 2 substitution of raw materials. The Strategic Projects cover 14 of the 17 strategic raw materials listed in the Critical Raw Materials Act. This includes several projects covering lithium (22 projects), nickel (12 projects), cobalt (10 projects), manganese (7 projects) and graphite (11 projects) which will particularly benefit the EU battery raw material value chain. These projects will ensure that the EU can fully meet its extraction, processing and recycling 2030 benchmarks for lithium and cobalt, while making substantial progress for graphite, nickel and manganese. Moreover, other strategic projects involving magnesium (1 project) and tungsten (3 projects) will contribute to the resilience of the EU's defence industry, which relies on the use of these materials.
These projects were selected as they contribute to the EU's secure supply of strategic raw materials, adhere to environmental, social and governance criteria and are technically feasible. In addition, the selected projects have also demonstrated clear cross-border benefits for the EU.
Benefits for the selected projects
To become operational, the 47 Strategic Projects have an expected overall capital investment of €22.5 billion. These projects will be able to benefit from coordinated support by the Commission, Member States and financial institutions to become operational, notably regarding access to finance and support to connect with relevant off-takers. They will also benefit from streamlined permitting provisions, to ensure predictability for project promoters while safeguarding environmental, social and governance standards. In line with the CRMA, the permit-granting process will not exceed 27 months for extraction projects and 15 months for other projects. Currently, permitting processes can last from five to 10 years.
Background
The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) entered into force on 23 May 2024. The same day, the Commission published a call for submission of proposals for recognition of projects as Strategic Projects with a cut-off date on 22 August 2024. Applications considered complete were assessed by the Commission with the support of external experts to check whether the projects meet relevant criteria under the CRMA. Based on this assessment, the Commission identified a list of projects for the extraction, processing, recycling or substitution of strategic raw materials. The Commission consulted the Critical Raw Materials Board, composed of Member States the European Parliament as an observer, to discuss and adopt an opinion on the list of Strategic Projects on 20 February 2025 and on 12 March 2025. The Commission also received applications for projects located in third countries. The Decision on the potential selection of such projects will be adopted at a later stage. The Commission will soon announce a new call for Strategic Project applications, currently planned for end of summer.
For More Information
List of Strategic Project
Q&A on the Strategic Projects
Interactive map and fiches
Critical Raw Materials Act - European Commission
Quote(s)
At the very start of our most strategic supply chains, are raw materials. They are also indispensable to the decarbonisation of our continent. But 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. Today, we have identified 47 new strategic projects that, for the first time, will help us secure our own domestic supply of raw materials. This is a landmark moment for European sovereignty as an industrial powerhouse.
Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy
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Youth Policy Dialogues
EU Youth Report 2024
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Commission welcomes provisional agreement on modernised driving licences rules More information is available here.
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(For more information: Lea Zuber – Tel.: +32 2 295 62 98; Maciej Berestecki - Tel.: + 32 487 63 24 98; Federica Miccoli — Tel.: + 32 2 295 83 00; Maëlys Dreux – Tel.: +32 2 295 46 73)
CALENDAR
Calendrier du lundi 24 mars 2025 au dimanche 30 mars 2025
Monday 24 March
Mr Costas Kadis receives Mr Armands Krauze, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia; receives Mr Jakob Jensen, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark; receives Ms Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, the Sea and Fisheries, of France; receives Mr Timmy Dooley, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland.
Tuesday 25 March
Mr Costas Kadis delivers an opening speech for the official launch of the campaign ‘EU Aquaculture - We work for you with passion'; participates on a dialogue with stakeholders; participates on Euractiv Policy Conference; ‘European Agriculture and Fisheries at the crossroads –Paving the way for a sustainable and competitive future'; receives representatives of the High Seas Alliance; receives representatives of Blue NGOs.
Wednesday 26 March
Mr Costas Kadis in Rome, Italy: delivers a speech, via prerecorded message at the Win-BIG Mediterranean Conference and Learning Lap; receives Ms Romina Pourmokhtari, Minister for Climate and the Environment of Sweden; receives Ms Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Thursday 27 March
Mr Costas Kadis in Simrishamn, Sweden: meets with MEPs Sofie Eriksson, Karin Karlsbro, Isabella Lövin, Jessica Polfjärd, Beatrice Timgren, Emma Wiesner; meets with scientists from Stockholm University, Baltic Sea center, coastal fishermen, Swedish anglers association and Swedish Society for Nature Conservation NGOs; visits local fish processing factory, fishermen and fishing vessels, meets with landing control officers and Coast Guard.
Friday 28 March
Mr Costas Kadis in Gotland, Sweden: meets with Mr Peter Kullgren, Minister for Rural Affairs of Sweden; meets with fishermen and owners of small-scale fishing vessels; meets with Ms Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, County Governor of Gotland County; meets with Blue Food - Centre for future seafood and with the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.
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