The European Commission has selected 46 new strategic projects across 16 EU member states to strengthen critical raw material supplies, diversify sourcing and reduce dependence on external suppliers.

 The projects support the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which sets 2030 targets for meeting at least 10 per cent of annual consumption through domestic extraction, 40 per cent through processing and 25 per cent through recycling.

The selected projects comprise eight focused on extraction, 11 on processing and 19 on recycling, alongside eight integrated projects combining different stages of the supply chain.

They cover 15 of the 17 strategic raw materials identified under the legislation.

The initiatives aim to strengthen European supply chains for batteries, defence, aerospace and permanent magnets, with materials including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite.

The projects were selected from 102 applications and add to 47 projects within the EU and 13 in non-EU countries designated in 2025.

The Commission said the projects would contribute to building more resilient supply chains for materials essential to the EU’s industrial and strategic priorities.

A further application round for strategic projects is planned for late 2026. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service