Brussels, June 4, 2025– The European Commission has announced its first list of 13 strategic critical minerals projects located outside the EU, aimed at securing supply chains for the bloc’s green transition. These projects, spanning the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia, represent €5.5 billion ($6.3 billion) in investments and will receive financial and logistical support.
Selected initiatives include Rio Tinto’s $2.4 billion Jadar lithium project in Serbia, Jervois’ nickel-cobalt refinery in Brazil, and Mkango Resources’ rare earths mine in Malawi. The list also features graphite projects in Greenland and Norway, as well as ventures in Zambia, Kazakhstan, and South Africa.
The move follows the EU’s March selection of 47 internal projects and seeks to reduce reliance on single suppliers for battery and clean-tech minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earths. "These projects will bolster Europe’s economic security while fostering global partnerships," said EU executive vice-president Stéphane Séjourné.
Most projects focus on extraction, with a few covering processing. The initiative aligns with the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which mandates diversified sourcing for at least 10% of strategic minerals by 2030.
