'New EU critical raw material strategic projects must protect water, human and environmental rights and long-term resilience'

The European Commission has announced 46 new Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), giving these projects privileged status in the EU’s efforts to secure sustainable supplies of critical raw materials. Whilst the need for these projects in Europe are real given the rising demand for transition technologies and other applications, the EU Raw Materials Coalition (EURMC) notes with concern that expanding mineral supply without protecting the environment and society risks deepening Europe’s long-term vulnerabilities.

Strategic status gives EU projects greater visibility and access to faster permitting, making transparent selection and rigorous due diligence essential. Yet some projects face significant resistance from local communities, while limited transparency around the selection process raises doubts about whether compliance with the CRMA’s sustainability requirements has been rigorously assessed. The Commission must demonstrate how selected projects meet these requirements and how concerns raised by affected communities have been addressed.

Building long-term resilience means supporting projects that meet these standards across the value chain and ensuring they have the funding and offtake agreements needed to deliver. The upcoming CRM centre must play a key role in connecting support for truly best-in-class projects with robust governance, transparent decision-making and rigorous environmental and social due diligence.

Some of the selected projects are located in areas projected to face high levels of water stress, raising concerns about their long-term viability and impacts on communities and ecosystems...

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“Mining projects may be considered ‘strategic’ for certain industries, but come with significant costs for local communities and life-sustaining ecosystems. Without proper environmental and social safeguards, they are not in the public interest. If Europe wants to increase its strategic autonomy, it must invest in sufficiency strategies that reduce its material footprint.” Lindsey Wuisan | Resource Justice campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe

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The Commission’s announcement comes as Europe looks to secure access to increasing volumes of critical raw materials amidst geopolitical trade uncertainties. The overall volume presented by the strategic projects would not be projected to suffice to meet the targets set out in the CRMR. At the same time, research points to significant potential to reduce demand for newly mined materials through repair and reuse, higher recycling rates and greater material efficiency. The coalition notes that the Strategic Projects announced today remain largely focused on increasing supply, with less emphasis on reducing demand.

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“The rush to secure minerals is fueling human rights abuse and environmental harm. Our Transition Minerals Tracker has shown a 73% year-on-year increase of allegations of abuse in transition minerals mines globally, signaling that human rights risks remain widespread in the mining sector. Strategic projects are no exception. The conclusions from our review of the first round of strategic projects reveal a clear path forward: the EU should urgently strengthen due diligence, transparency and public monitoring of strategic projects to prevent abuse.” Blanca Racionero Gómez | Senior Researcher, Business and Human Rights Centre

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Media contact: Robin Roels
Coordinator, EU Raw Materials Coalition
[email protected]