EU selects 46 critical raw materials projects across 16 countries

The European Commission has selected 46 critical raw materials projects in 16 countries, including the Netherlands, from 102 applications, Dutch news agency ANP reports. According to ANP, the projects cover extraction, processing and recycling of materials including lithium, nickel, cobalt and magnesium, and are intended to help the EU reduce its reliance on supplies from countries such as China. Selection does not mean the projects are operating. [1]

According to ANP, the EU’s goals for 2030 are to build capacity to extract critical raw materials equivalent to at least 10% of annual EU consumption, process 40% and recycle 25%. The Commission expects the new projects, together with those selected earlier, to make a significant contribution. It says they could meet the full extraction targets for lithium, nickel, rare earths, magnesium and tungsten, as well as the processing targets for lithium and rare earths. Those are projections, not results. [1]

In 2025, Brussels selected 47 projects within the EU and 13 outside it, ANP reports. According to the Commission, those projects are progressing towards becoming operational. [1]