The European Union has compiled a priority list of 47 projects focused on mining and processing critical raw materials. These projects, aimed at boosting domestic production, will be fast-tracked through the permitting process, with approval expected within 15 months or less.
As global competition intensifies for essential materials like lithium, cobalt, copper, and rare earth metals, the European Commission is pushing to have these projects up and running by the end of the decade. Vice-president Stéphane Séjourné, responsible for industrial strategy, stressed the importance of not replacing one dependency with another. “We do not want to replace our dependence on fossil fuels with dependence on raw materials,” he said. “Chinese lithium will not be tomorrow’s Russian gas.”
Séjourné’s comments refer to the geopolitical tension over energy supplies. Just as Russia used its control over European gas in the lead-up to its invasion of Ukraine, China has become the dominant supplier of many key raw materials, including nearly all the rare earths imported into the EU.
Lithium, a crucial component for electric vehicle batteries, is one of 34 raw materials identified by the EU as vital for the transition to clean energy and the digital economy. Half of these materials are considered strategically important. The EU’s list includes mining and processing projects for lithium in countries like Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Czechia, and Finland, spread across 13 member states.
The EU aims to meet ambitious targets set under the Critical Raw Materials Act, which was adopted a year ago. By 2030, the EU aims to handle 10% of its mineral extraction, 40% of processing, and 25% of recycling within its borders. According to the Commission, the bloc will meet these targets for lithium and cobalt if the selected projects move forward, while making significant progress on graphite, nickel, and manganese.
The Act requires EU governments to fast-track permitting for mining projects within 27 months and for processing and recycling facilities within just 15 months. A newly created Critical Raw Materials Board will help secure the €22.5 billion needed for these projects by facilitating financing through development banks. The European Investment Bank has already committed €2 billion in funding for this initiative in 2025.
Of the 170 projects that applied for EU Strategic Project status, 46 are from outside the EU, and their fate will be decided in the coming weeks after further deliberation. Séjourné emphasized that this decision will have a political dimension but denied that the actions of the US—such as its interest in critical raw materials in Greenland, Ukraine, and Canada—are driving the EU’s policy.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump took similar action with an executive order last Thursday. The order aims to boost American mineral production, cut permitting delays, and treat it as a matter of both defense and energy security.
Not everyone is pleased with the speed at which the EU is moving. Robin Roels, coordinator of the EU Raw Materials Coalition of environmental NGOs, expressed concern about the lack of transparency in the selection process. “If the EU is serious about a fair and sustainable transition, it must open up this process to genuine scrutiny and ensure that community voices are heard,” Roels said. “Despite repeated requests, the full list of project applicants and the evaluation criteria remain undisclosed.”
The European Commission is aware of public resistance to mining projects, which has hindered lithium extraction efforts in places like Portugal and Serbia. To meet its 2030 goals, the EU will need to address these concerns. Séjourné acknowledged the challenge, stating that “Producing in Europe will also mean political work on the social acceptability of these projects,” underscoring the need to highlight both national and European interests.
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