The Commission adopted the first list of 13 Strategic Projects on strategic raw materials located outside of the EU, including in overseas countries or territories. The Strategic Projects will diversify the EU's sources of supply and increase economic security. At the same time, the projects are designed to boost local value creation in third countries.
This initiative complements the list of 47 Strategic Projects in the EU, adopted on 25 March 2025. In total, all 60 Strategic Projects will contribute to the competitiveness of EU's industry and in particular sectors such as electro mobility, renewable energy, defence and aerospace. Those projects are the first results of the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act which entered into force in May 2024.
Overview of the selected projects
Among the 13 Strategic Projects, seven are located in Canada, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Serbia, Ukraine, Zambia, with whom the EU has a strategic partnership on raw materials value chains; and the remaining ones are located in Brazil, Madagascar, Malawi, New Caledonia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Ten of these Strategic Projects concern strategic raw materials essential for electric vehicle, batteries and battery storage, like lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite. Two Strategic Projects cover the extraction of rare earth elements, which play a key role in producing high-performance magnets used in wind turbines or electric motors for renewable energy technologies and electro mobility. Combined with the three Strategic Projects in the EU that cover the processing of rare earths, these additional Strategic Projects will be able to increase the EU's security of supply of rare earths. Strategic Projects also cover copper, used from power-grid to microelectronics, tungsten, and boron, used in the automotive, renewable energy, aerospace and defence sectors.
The Commission adopted a decision on a first list of Strategic Projects in the EU on 25 March 2025.
For more information
List of Selected Projects in third countries and OTC
Selected Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act
Critical Raw Materials Act - European Commission
Interactive map and fiches