The European Commission has selected 46 additional strategic raw material projects across 16 EU member states, aiming to strengthen the bloc’s access to critical resources and reduce reliance on external suppliers. The projects were chosen from 102 applications and will benefit from accelerated permitting procedures and improved access to financing.
The latest selection includes projects covering extraction, processing and recycling, with a strong focus on materials essential to battery production. Germany secured eight strategic project designations, more than any other member state in this round.
Projects Cover the Raw Materials Value Chain
Of the 46 selected projects, eight focus on extraction, eleven on processing and 19 on recycling. The remaining eight are integrated projects: three combine extraction and processing, while five cover processing and recycling.
Collectively, the projects address 15 of the 17 strategic raw materials identified under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The battery supply chain features prominently, with seven projects related to lithium, twelve to nickel, ten to cobalt, five to manganese and four to graphite.
Other initiatives target rare earth elements used in permanent magnets, as well as magnesium and tungsten.
Germany Secures Eight Project Designations
Germany’s eight selected projects include lithium extraction and processing initiatives in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, alongside recycling projects involving copper, lithium and batteries in North Rhine-Westphalia. The selection also includes permanent magnet recycling in Baden-Württemberg and titanium processing in Hesse.
Four of the eight German projects focus on recycling, underscoring the role of the circular economy in the EU’s efforts to secure its raw material supply.
In the first selection round in 2025, the Commission designated 47 strategic projects within the EU. Three were based in Germany: Vulcan Energy’s lithium extraction project, PCC Thorion’s ProHiPerSi initiative for graphite substitution, and Rock Tech Lithium’s planned lithium hydroxide converter in Guben. A further 13 strategic projects in third countries were also selected during that round.
EU Targets for 2030
The Commission says the newly selected projects could put the EU on track to meet several of its 2030 raw material objectives. According to its estimates, the projects could fully cover the bloc’s extraction targets for lithium and nickel, as well as its lithium processing target.
In recycling, the projects could meet the EU benchmarks for lithium and cobalt. For cobalt processing, they could cover approximately 89% of the target.
The CRMA, which entered into force in May 2024, sets several benchmarks for the EU’s strategic raw material supply by 2030. These include extracting at least 10% of annual demand within the bloc, processing 40% domestically and recycling 25%. The legislation also states that no more than 65% of the EU’s annual consumption of any strategic raw material should come from a single third country.
Faster Permitting and Financing Support
Strategic project status is intended to reduce the time required to secure permits. Under the CRMA, permitting procedures are limited to a maximum of 27 months for extraction projects and 15 months for processing and recycling projects.
Implementation of projects selected in 2025 is also progressing, according to the Commission. Twenty-five have completed their environmental impact assessments, while 17 have obtained construction permits.
Since the launch of RESourceEU at the end of 2025, more than €2 billion has been mobilised through the Innovation Fund, state aid and the European Investment Bank.
The Commission plans to open another call for strategic raw material projects before the end of 2026, providing another opportunity for initiatives aimed at strengthening Europe’s supply of critical resources.