The European Commission published on Tuesday a list of 47 strategic projects aimed at strengthening the EU's production of critical raw materials and reducing reliance on external suppliers.

Key Announcements:

• EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton stated at a press conference: "We cannot allow Chinese lithium to become the next Russian gas. Europe must extract, process, and recycle its own raw materials."

• Projects across 13 EU member states will benefit from:

  • Faster permitting procedures

  • Priority access to EU funding

• Self-sufficiency target: The EU could become "fully self-sufficient in lithium within five years" through new mining projects.

Policy Context:

• Part of the 2023 Critical Raw Materials Act with binding targets for 2030:

  • 10% of annual consumption from EU extraction

  • 40% processed domestically

  • 25% from recycling

• Strategy includes:

  • Diversifying external suppliers

  • Joint EU procurement to reduce costs

  • Building strategic reserves

Geopolitical Drivers:

• Response to:

  • Russia-Ukraine war's energy shocks

  • Rising natural gas prices

  • U.S. geopolitical shifts under potential Trump administration

• Focus on battery metals (lithium, cobalt) and rare earth elements essential for:

  • Electronics

  • Green transition technologies