The European Commission is set to launch calls within days for projects to improve the EU’s supply of critical minerals, including lithium, copper, and other resources crucial for the bloc’s green and digital transitions. This move is part of the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to reduce the EU’s dependence on China and enable the region to produce its own electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other clean technologies.
Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said the EU executive will convene a first meeting of a board overseeing the implementation of the act, and shortly after, the first call for strategic projects will be launched. These projects, focused on processing, recycling, or mining, should be able to secure permits in 15-27 months, significantly faster than the normal permitting process.
In addition to the project calls, the Commission is also beginning to develop plans for joint purchases of up to 30 different critical materials, building on its experience with the common gas purchasing scheme. The EU executive would act as a matchmaker between global suppliers and EU purchasers, with the goal of launching the scheme “rather sooner than later,” though Sefcovic acknowledged that convincing member states would take some time, as was the case with the gas purchases.
The commissioner also said the Commission is exploring the possibility of stockpiling certain key minerals, taking inspiration from the Japanese model for rare earths. This could help provide a more precise sense of future demand for critical raw materials within the EU.
The moves are part of the EU’s broader efforts to secure supplies of vital resources and reduce its reliance on external sources, particularly China, which dominates the global market for many critical minerals.