EU’s fight to break China’s raw material dominance isn’t going well
The majority of Europe’s mining, processing and recycling projects are behind schedule.
The EU's Critical Raw Materials Act aimed to break China's dominance in critical minerals, but progress on the first round of 47 projects is lagging. Only one in four strategically important mineral projects designated under the law is on schedule, according to analysis shared with POLITICO. EU industry chief Stéphane Séjourné will unveil a new list of projects receiving privileged funding, permitting and buyer access.
However, a significant number of projects face delays, stagnation or have been canceled, with only about a quarter clearly on track. Financial, regulatory and political obstacles are impeding European mining endeavors. Despite these challenges, EU officials maintain the initiatives will meet 2030 targets for specific materials, but skeptics, like former Euromines president Jan Moström, argue progress remains far from sufficient.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
