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EU Launches 47 Projects to Boost Critical Raw Materials

Metals and Mining

Business Honor
26 March, 2025

The European Commission launches 47 projects to boost EU production of critical raw materials for energy transition and security.

The European Commission has launched a list of 47 strategic projects to enhance the EU's production of 14 key raw materials that are vital to its energy transition and security. This is according to the Critical Raw Materials Act, which was approved by the EU in 2023 with ambitious targets to mine 10%, refine 40%, and recycle 25% of its raw material needs by 2030.

These materials, including base metals such as aluminium, copper, and nickel, battery materials such as primary batteries of lithium, and the rare earths, are pivotal in the EU's green energy revolution, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs), windmills, and military equipment. The projects, spread across 13 EU member countries, include 25 in extraction, 24 in processing, and 10 in recycling. Others are multi-programmed schemes, addressing more than one stage of the supply chain.

The EU's priority is to minimize reliance on external sources for these strategic materials, especially following supply chain discontinuities owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war. China currently leads the rare earths extraction and processing, which are used in most high-tech and defense products. EU Industry Commissioner Stephane Sejourne highlighted the strategic value of having domestic production to minimize reliance on foreign markets, specifically China, for these substances.

The projects cover everything from lithium mining for EV batteries to magnesium and tungsten for defense uses. To streamline development, the Commission has instituted expedited permitting procedures, with approval times capped at 27 months for mining and 15 months for processing and recycling.

Moreover, the EU plans to fund these projects using public guarantees from state banks, the European Investment Bank, and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. These projects are expected to mobilize private investments, making Europe's crucial raw materials supply chain viable in the long term.