Brussels, Belgium – The European Commission has selected 47 strategic projects to bolster the extraction, processing, and recycling of critical raw materials within the European Union.
Among the beneficiaries is Belgian company Umicore, which will receive support for its germanium-related initiatives under the newly implemented Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).
The selected projects, spread across 13 EU Member States, aim to reduce Europe’s dependence on external supply chains for vital materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite—elements crucial for battery production and electric vehicles.
Reducing Dependence on External Supply Chains
“Raw materials have long been the blind spot of our industrial policy,” European Commission Vice President Stéphane Séjourné stated at a press conference.
He underscored how the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine exposed the EU’s vulnerability due to its reliance on non-EU suppliers.
The Commission’s list of strategic projects is designed to address these weaknesses by securing and diversifying the supply of essential resources.
“We must not replace fossil fuel dependence with reliance on these raw materials. Chinese lithium cannot become tomorrow’s Russian gas,” Séjourné warned, referencing China’s export restrictions on germanium and other critical minerals since mid-2023.
Key Beneficiaries and Investment Plans
Belgium’s Umicore has received backing for two projects: GePETO, which focuses on germanium processing, and ReGAIN, aimed at substituting the element in industrial applications.
Germanium is crucial for fibre optic cables and infrared technology, industries currently dominated by Chinese production. Meanwhile, Italian chemical company Solvay has been granted strategic status for its platinum group metals recycling project.
The 47 approved projects anticipate total capital investments exceeding €22 billion. While only €2 billion in EU funding and loan guarantees is immediately available, the European strategic label is expected to attract additional public and private investments. “We believe these projects are feasible and can be rolled out quickly,” Séjourné asserted.
Expedited Approval Timelines and Community Dialogue
To accelerate the rollout of these projects, the CRMA mandates streamlined permitting procedures. Extraction permits, which currently take between five and ten years to obtain, must be processed within 27 months.
Similarly, permits for processing and recycling will be limited to 15 months. However, these changes must align with social and environmental standards.
Recognizing the potential for local resistance to mining activities, the Commission has emphasized transparent dialogue with affected communities. “We must communicate the broader European and national interest,” Séjourné noted.
CRMA’s 2030 Targets and Global Strategy
By 2030, the CRMA aims to ensure that at least 10% of the EU’s demand for critical raw materials is met through domestic extraction, with 40% sourced from European processing facilities and 25% from recycling. Additionally, the legislation seeks to cap reliance on any single third country at 65% across all supply chain stages.
The urgency of these measures has been amplified by increasing global competition for raw materials, particularly following strategic moves by the United States earlier this year. The EU has already signed a memorandum with Ukraine on raw materials cooperation, and Séjourné reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to strengthening this partnership.
Beyond the EU’s borders, over 40 applications have been submitted for projects outside the Union, with the Commission set to determine which will receive strategic project status in the near future.
As Europe positions itself to become a major player in the global raw materials race, these initiatives mark a critical step toward securing the continent’s economic and technological future.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
