EU gives green light to critical raw materials act

The EU is pushing ahead with legislation to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials such as lithium, for batteries, and rare earth elements, used in electronics.

The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) announced by European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, in September 2022, aims to reduce the EU’s reliance on other countries for the supply of important raw materials. It identifies two lists of materials – 34 critical and 17 strategic – that are crucial for the green and digital transitions, as well as for the defence and space industries.