EU selects 46 new strategic critical raw materials projects across 16 countries
The European Commission selected 46 new strategic critical raw materials projects across 16 EU member states on 9 October 2026. The projects cover extraction, processing and recycling of materials used in batteries, aerospace, defence and permanent magnets.
According to the European Commission, the projects were selected from 102 applications submitted during the second call under the Critical Raw Materials Act.
What the 46 EU critical raw materials projects cover
Eight projects focus on extraction, 11 on processing and 19 on recycling. Another eight are integrated projects covering more than one stage of the supply chain. Together, the projects involve 15 of the 17 raw materials classified as strategic by the EU.
The battery-related portfolio includes seven lithium projects, 12 nickel projects, 10 cobalt projects, five manganese projects and four graphite projects. Separate projects cover magnesium and tungsten, while four focus on rare earth elements used for permanent magnets.
The projects are located in Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
The Critical Raw Materials Act sets 2030 benchmarks under which EU capacity should reach at least 10% of annual consumption for extraction, 40% for processing and 25% for recycling of strategic raw materials.
The Commission also reported progress on the first group selected in 2025: 25 projects have completed environmental impact assessments and 17 have obtained construction permits. More than €2 billion in financial support has been mobilised since the launch of RESourceEU.
