From a pool of 102 applications, the European Commission has selected 46 new projects that will benefit from accelerated authorization procedures and better access to financing.
The projects span 16 member states and cover the entire raw materials value chain. Eight focus on extraction, eleven on processing and 19 on recycling. Additionally, there are eight integrated projects: three combine extraction and processing, while five combine processing and recycling. In total, 15 of the 17 strategic raw materials provided for in the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) are addressed.
In the battery sector, seven projects refer to lithium, twelve to nickel, ten to cobalt, five to manganese and four to graphite. Other projects focus on rare earth elements for permanent magnets, as well as magnesium and tungsten.
Germany is particularly well represented in the second selection round (link in German). There, eight projects have been granted EU strategic project status, more than in any other member state. These include lithium mining and processing projects in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, as well as copper, lithium and battery recycling projects in North Rhine-Westphalia. There are also permanent magnet recycling projects in Baden-Württemberg and a titanium processing project in Hesse.
Germany receives eight strategic raw materials projects
Four of Germany’s eight projects are in the recycling sector. This selection also highlights the role of the circular economy in ensuring the supply of raw materials in Europe.
In the first round of 2025, the EU Commission selected 47 strategic projects within the Union. Three German projects were included at the time: Vulcan Energy’s lithium extraction, PCC Thorion’s ProHiPerSi project for graphite substitution, and Rock Tech Lithium’s lithium hydroxide conversion project in Guben. In addition, 13 strategic projects were added in third countries.
With the newly selected projects, the EU believes it is on track to meet its 2030 targets for several raw materials. According to the Commission, the projects could completely cover the lithium and nickel extraction targets. The lithium processing target is also expected to be met. In terms of recycling, the projects could fully meet the EU benchmarks for lithium and cobalt. In the case of cobalt processing, around 89 percent of the target value could be covered.
The Critical Raw Materials Law, in force since May 2024, stipulates that by 2030, the EU must extract at least 10 percent of its annual demand for strategic raw materials domestically, process 40 percent within the Union and recycle 25 percent. At the same time, no more than 65 percent of European annual demand for any strategic raw materials should come from a single third country.
The strategic project status is intended, among other things, to shorten the often lengthy permitting procedures. According to the CRMA, extraction projects are limited to a maximum of 27 months, while processing and recycling projects are limited to a maximum of 15 months.
According to the Commission, the implementation of the projects already selected in 2025 is progressing: 25 projects have completed their environmental impact assessments and 17 already have construction permits. Since the launch of RESourceEU at the end of 2025, more than €2 billion has been mobilized through the Innovation Fund, state aid and the European Investment Bank. The Commission plans to launch another call for strategic raw materials projects before the end of 2026.
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