Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)
Mineral raw materials are of crucial importance to the European economy. In order to meet the challenges of the green and digital transformation and to ensure the security of the European Union, the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) was published on May 3, 2024.
On May 3, 2024, the European Union (EU) published a regulation on the secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials - the Critical Raw Materials Act. The package focuses on strengthening European supply chains, diversifying EU imports, strengthening the monitoring of value chains, as well as sustainability and the circular economy. The Commission's proposal includes ambitious benchmarks. For example, by 2030, at least 10% of strategic raw material requirements should be mined in the EU, at least 40% should be processed in the EU and at least 15% should come from the European circular economy. In addition, the EU should not be dependent on any third country for more than 65% of its raw materials.
Reliable and unhindered access to certain raw materials is a major concern within the EU and around the world. To address this challenge, the European Commission has drawn up a list of critical raw materials for the EU, which is regularly reviewed and updated.
Economic importance and supply risk are the two most important parameters in determining criticality for the EU. The “economic importance” parameter looks in detail at the allocation of end uses of raw materials based on industrial applications. The “supply risk” parameter examines the concentration of global production of primary raw materials and supply to the EU at country level, the governance of supplier countries, including environmental aspects, the contribution of recycling, substitution, the EU's dependence on imports and trade restrictions in third countries.
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