Key facts
- The European Commission has identified 46 new strategic projects for critical raw materials.
- The projects aim to diversify supply away from China and establish mineral sovereignty.
- Key metals targeted include lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite, copper, and aluminum.
- The initiative supports the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act targets for 2030.
- These projects are eligible for faster permitting and financial support.
- The selected projects span 16 EU member states.
The European Commission has unveiled a new list of 46 strategic projects aimed at bolstering the bloc's self-sufficiency in critical raw materials, particularly those essential for clean energy technologies and the automotive sector. This initiative is a key component of the EU's strategy to reduce its reliance on China for vital resources and achieve mineral sovereignty.
The selected projects encompass the entire value chain, including extraction, processing, recycling, and substitution of materials. The focus is heavily on battery metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite, which are crucial for electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage. Copper and aluminum, vital for electrical conductivity, are also prominently featured.
These projects are designed to help the EU meet ambitious targets set by the Critical Raw Materials Act. By 2030, the bloc aims to mine at least 10% of its own strategic mineral needs, process 40%, and recycle 25%. Furthermore, the act stipulates that no more than 65% of any single material at any processing stage should be sourced from a single non-EU country.
This announcement marks the second batch of strategic projects under the act, following an initial list in March 2025. The 46 projects are spread across 16 EU member states, including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. The "strategic project" designation is intended to expedite permitting processes and attract both public and private investment, with specific deadlines set for mine (27 months) and processing/recycling (15 months) projects.
EU industry chief Stéphane Séjourné emphasized the potential impact of these projects, stating that they could enable the bloc to fully meet its extraction targets for lithium, nickel, rare earths, magnesium, and tungsten, as well as processing targets for lithium and rare earths, and recycling targets for lithium, cobalt, and rare earths. The urgency of this initiative was underscored by Séjourné's reference to China's previous export restrictions on rare earths in October 2025.