The European Commission has announced the selection of 46 new strategic projects in the critical raw materials sector, distributed across 16 EU member states. This step aims to secure the needs of European industries for essential metals and reduce dependence on China in supply chains.

The list includes six projects in France, eight projects for mineral extraction, 11 for processing and refining, and 19 for recycling, alongside other projects combining multiple activities within the production chain.

These projects add to 47 projects within the European Union and 13 outside it that were selected last year, as part of a European plan to develop local capacities and diversify supply sources for raw materials essential to strategic industries.

These resources are of particular importance for the electric vehicle, battery, electronic equipment, and advanced technology industries, which rely on metals that are difficult to substitute amid rising global demand and fierce competition to secure them.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné stated that the European Union has mobilized 2 billion euros in funding to support projects linked to this direction, which aims to strengthen the continent’s independence in sensitive industrial sectors.

This initiative comes amid China’s continued dominance over the processing of a number of critical minerals and rare earth elements, prompting Brussels to seek alternatives that limit the exposure of European industries to supply disruptions and potential trade restrictions.

The European Commission is also banking on expanding recycling activities to recover metals used in batteries and industrial equipment, which will reduce the need to import raw materials and develop a production chain encompassing extraction, processing, and reuse.