The EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)

The EU Critical Raw Materials Act is Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, adopted on 11 April 2024 and in force since 23 May 2024. It lists 34 critical raw materials and 17 strategic raw materials, sets 2030 capacity targets for extraction, processing and recycling, caps dependence on any single non-EU country at 65%, and gives selected projects faster permits. The Commission must review both lists by 24 May 2027 and every three years after that.

What are the EU's 2030 targets for critical raw materials?

The EU's 2030 targets for strategic raw materials are set in Article 5 of the Act and apply to the Union as a whole, not to each country. They measure capacity inside the EU against the EU's annual consumption.

Which raw materials does the Act cover?

The Act covers two lists that are kept in separate annexes. Annex II holds the 34 critical raw materials, chosen because they pass thresholds for supply risk and economic importance. Annex I holds the 17 strategic raw materials, chosen for their role in the green and digital transitions, defense and aerospace. Every strategic material is also on the critical list, and only the strategic ones count towards the 2030 benchmarks.

How do strategic projects work?

Strategic projects are mines, processing plants and recycling facilities that the Commission recognises, which gives them faster permitting and easier access to financing and buyers. The Act limits the permit-granting process to 27 months for projects that involve extraction and 15 months for projects that only process or recycle. Recognition does not by itself bring EU funding.

• First call. The Commission recognised 47 strategic projects in 13 member states in March 2025.
• Second call. On 9 October 2026 the Commission selected 46 more in 16 member states: 8 extraction, 11 processing, 19 recycling and 8 integrated projects, covering 15 of the 17 strategic raw materials. The Commission expects them to need 21.1 billion euros of capital investment.
• Total. That makes 93 projects inside the Union, and the Commission counts 13 more in partner countries. A new call is planned for the end of 2026.

What other measures does the Act include?

• Monitoring and stress tests. The Commission and the European Critical Raw Materials Board monitor supply of strategic raw materials and carry out stress tests, and the Board can ask for an earlier review of the strategic list.
• Recycled content in magnets. Under Article 29, companies selling products with permanent magnets above 0.2 kg must publish the share of neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium, terbium, boron, samarium, nickel and cobalt recovered from post-consumer waste from 24 May 2027, or two years after the delegated act on calculation rules, whichever is later. Minimum recycled shares are to be set by 31 December 2031.
• Joint purchasing and stockpiling. The Commission's RESourceEU plan, presented in December 2025, adds a European Critical Raw Materials Centre, a joint purchasing platform and a stockpiling pilot, with about 3 billion euros of funding over the following twelve months. Whether each element has launched on schedule is not confirmed in the sources used here.

Frequently asked questions

What is the EU Critical Raw Materials Act?

The EU Critical Raw Materials Act is Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, which entered into force on 23 May 2024. It sets targets to increase EU extraction, processing and recycling of strategic raw materials by 2030, lists 34 critical and 17 strategic raw materials, and speeds up permitting for strategic projects.

How many critical raw materials are on the EU list?

The EU list has 34 critical raw materials in Annex II of the Act, including 17 that are also classed as strategic. The Commission must review the list by 24 May 2027 and at least every three years after that.

What are the EU's 2030 benchmarks for strategic raw materials?

The EU's 2030 benchmarks are extraction capacity for at least 10% of annual consumption, processing capacity for at least 40%, recycling capacity for at least 25%, and no more than 65% of annual consumption of any strategic raw material from a single third country.

Does becoming a strategic project mean EU funding?

Becoming a strategic project does not by itself bring EU funding. Recognition gives a project a permit time limit of 27 months for extraction or 15 months for processing and recycling, plus support in finding finance and buyers, but funding is decided separately.

Sources

Read on October 12, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.

1. Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of 11 April 2024, Official Journal L, 3 May 2024. Annexes I and II, Articles 3, 4, 5, 11 and 29 read in full
2. European Commission: Critical Raw Materials Act
3. LNB News: Commission selects 46 new strategic projects (9 October 2026). Report of the Commission announcement
4. electrive: EU presents action plan for securing critical raw materials (4 December 2025). Plan presented in early December 2025