MINEX Forum

Tag: Critical raw materials

  • Serbia adopts draft minerals strategy for 2025–2040, sets focus on sustainability and critical raw materials

    Serbia adopts draft minerals strategy for 2025–2040, sets focus on sustainability and critical raw materials

    The Serbian government has adopted a draft Strategy for the Management of Mineral and Other Geological Resources for the period from 2025 to 2040, with projections extending to 2050, sending the document to the National Assembly for a final vote. The strategy aims to balance economic development with environmental protection while strengthening state oversight and ensuring a stable supply of critical and strategic raw materials.

    Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović said the strategy was shaped through a lengthy and at times contentious public consultation process, during which dozens of objections and proposals were fully or partially incorporated. Although the final text has yet to be published, the government confirmed that sustainability, climate neutrality, and the use of energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies are among its central pillars.

    According to the Ministry of Mining and Energy, the strategy establishes a long-term framework for responsible resource management, enhanced planning and supervision, and improved governance of the mining and geology sector in the interests of citizens and local communities. Particular attention is given to critical and strategic raw materials, geothermal energy, and the rational use of natural resources.

    An accompanying environmental impact assessment notes that Serbia has significant deposits of metallic, non-metallic, and energy raw materials, as well as groundwater and geothermal resources. At the same time, it acknowledges that decades of mining have led to air, water, and soil pollution, especially in areas such as Bor and Majdanpek, as well as the Kolubara and Kostolac lignite basins. The report also highlights abandoned mines, tailings dumps, and obsolete facilities as a major challenge requiring remediation and rehabilitation.

    Đedović Handanović said the strategy defines concrete programmes to secure raw material supplies for domestic companies and the energy system, create jobs, increase the participation of Serbian industry in value chains, reduce import dependence, and strengthen economic stability. She added that strict environmental and safety standards, along with transparent planning and decision-making processes, are intended to protect protected areas, improve workplace safety, and reduce risks to public health and quality of life.

  • Kazakhstani university wins first-ever Horizon Europe project and joins EU critical minerals initiative

    Kazakhstani university wins first-ever Horizon Europe project and joins EU critical minerals initiative

    Kazakhstan’s higher education and research sector has reached a landmark milestone after a domestic university secured its first victory in a competitive call under Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship research and innovation programme. East Kazakhstan Technical University (EKTU) has become a full partner in the international TiBeRIUM project, marking an unprecedented step for Kazakhstani universities in EU-funded research cooperation.

    TiBeRIUM (Titanium and Beryllium for European Resilience and Innovative Utilization of Minerals) is coordinated by TU Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany and brings together a consortium of 25 partners from 12 countries, including Germany, Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The project focuses on building sustainable supply chains for critical raw materials and advancing environmentally friendly technologies for the processing of titanium and beryllium. Its total budget is estimated at around €8 million.

    Kazakhstan is represented in the project by EKTU, Tenir Group LLP, and Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC. According to the university, EKTU’s participation is the result of long-term, systematic efforts by its research teams. During the proposal preparation phase between May and September 2025, EKTU specialists held 18 formal coordination meetings, alongside dozens of technical sessions covering scientific pathways, industrial case studies, environmental impact, and data management. The process also included extensive consultations with industrial partners and in-person international meetings in Germany and Uzbekistan.

    As a result, EKTU joined TiBeRIUM as a full-fledged partner, with responsibilities considered strategically important for achieving the project’s objectives. University representatives noted that this outcome reflects the strength of EKTU’s research infrastructure, scientific management, and professional expertise.

    The achievement was also attributed to sustained support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which has been investing in the development of national research capacity. Project participants emphasized that participation in Horizon Europe is not an endpoint, but the beginning of a new phase in which Kazakhstani science and engineering aim to play a more active role in developing technologies, strengthening human capital, and contributing to global value chains in critical minerals.

  • Serbia Zijin Copper Cleans Up Bor’s Legacy Pollution Through Smelter Modernisation and Dust Control

    Serbia Zijin Copper Cleans Up Bor’s Legacy Pollution Through Smelter Modernisation and Dust Control

    A new phase in Kazakhstan–European Union cooperation on critical raw materials was formally launched with the inauguration of the Kazakhstan–EU Gateway’s cooperation platform and its first flagship event, Strategic Partnership on Critical Raw Materials.

    The event, attended by Eureflect, was hosted at the Brussels headquarters of TÜSİAD, one of Turkey’s leading business associations, underscoring the Eurasian dimension of the initiative and its relevance for both European and regional industrial stakeholders. The choice of venue reflected the high-level political and business focus of the platform.

    Held on December 9, 2025, at Av. des Gaulois 13 in Brussels, the conference brought together policymakers, industry leaders and subject-matter experts from across Europe and Central Asia. Discussions centred on strengthening cooperation along the full critical raw materials value chain, from geological exploration and mining to processing, refining and downstream industrial integration.

    The Kazakhstan–EU Gateway is intended to serve as a structured platform to align Kazakhstan’s vast mineral resource base with Europe’s growing demand for secure, diversified and responsibly sourced critical raw materials. The initiative comes as the EU accelerates efforts to reduce strategic dependencies and deepen partnerships with resource-rich, politically aligned countries.

    Participants highlighted the importance of long-term frameworks, transparent governance and investment-friendly conditions to translate political alignment into tangible projects. The launch event marked an initial step toward building sustained collaboration between Kazakh institutions, European policymakers and industrial players seeking resilient supply chains.

  • Kazakhstan–EU Gateway Launches New Platform for Strategic Critical Raw Materials Cooperation

    Kazakhstan–EU Gateway Launches New Platform for Strategic Critical Raw Materials Cooperation

    A new chapter in Kazakhstan–European Union cooperation on critical raw materials opened on 9 December 2025 with the inauguration of the Kazakhstan–EU Gateway’s cooperation platform and its first flagship event, titled “Strategic Partnership on Critical Raw Materials.”

    The event was hosted in Brussels at the premises of TÜSİAD, one of Turkey’s leading business associations, underscoring the Eurasia-focused and high-level nature of the initiative. Located in the EU quarter at Avenue des Gaulois 13, the venue provided a strategic setting for discussions at the intersection of European policymaking, industry and international cooperation.

    The launch brought together policymakers, industry executives, analysts and experts to explore avenues for strengthening collaboration between Kazakhstan and the EU in the sourcing, processing and integration of critical raw materials into European value chains. Participants discussed supply security, investment frameworks, governance standards and the role of Central Asia in supporting Europe’s industrial resilience amid growing geopolitical pressures.

    The Kazakhstan–EU Gateway platform is intended to serve as a permanent forum for dialogue and project development, positioning Kazakhstan as a key strategic partner for Europe as it seeks to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on dominant external suppliers of critical minerals.

  • EU Unveils New Raw-Materials Security Doctrine to Cut Foreign Dependence

    EU Unveils New Raw-Materials Security Doctrine to Cut Foreign Dependence

    The European Union has unveiled a new raw-materials security doctrine that marks a significant shift in its industrial and geopolitical strategy, moving from high-level policy guidance to execution-focused industrial governance.

    The doctrine sets quantified targets to reduce Europe’s reliance on foreign raw-material supplies by 50% within the next decade, acknowledging that full self-sufficiency is unrealistic but stressing the need for redundancy, diversification and domestic capacity. The strategy prioritises critical and strategic materials across extraction, processing and recycling, aligning Europe more closely with approaches taken by the United States and parts of Asia, while accounting for Europe’s stricter environmental and permitting frameworks.

    A central pillar of the doctrine is the recognition that Europe’s main vulnerability lies not only in limited mining, but in weak midstream capabilities. Insufficient refining, metallurgical transformation and component production have left European industry exposed to supply disruptions. The new approach seeks to strengthen these segments through financial incentives for processing plants, expanded recycling infrastructure and the creation of coordinated industrial clusters spanning automotive, aerospace, energy and defence sectors.

    Implementation speed is expected to be decisive. EU institutions acknowledge that lengthy permitting processes, local opposition and regulatory complexity have historically delayed strategic projects. To meet the doctrine’s ambitions, Brussels is expected to prioritise critical-project designation, streamline approvals and deploy stronger investment de-risking tools to accelerate development timelines.

    The doctrine underscores a broader shift in EU thinking, framing raw materials as a frontline industrial and security issue rather than a background commodity concern. By reinforcing domestic processing, recycling and midstream integration, the EU aims to position itself as a more resilient and competitive hub for strategic materials amid an increasingly contested global resource landscape.

  • EU Launches RESourceEU Action Plan to Cut Critical Mineral Dependencies and Fast-Track Strategic Projects

    EU Launches RESourceEU Action Plan to Cut Critical Mineral Dependencies and Fast-Track Strategic Projects

    The European Commission has adopted its RESourceEU Action Plan, a sweeping package of policy, regulatory and financing measures aimed at reducing the bloc’s reliance on external suppliers of critical raw materials while strengthening Europe’s competitiveness across key industrial sectors. The plan builds on the recently enacted Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and responds to escalating geopolitical tensions, supply risks and the growing need for stable access to materials essential for electric vehicles, aerospace, defence, industrial machinery, AI chips and data centres.

    A central feature of RESourceEU is the acceleration of strategic projects through streamlined permitting, regulatory reform and new derisking instruments. The Commission indicated that these measures could halve Europe’s most significant supply dependencies by 2029. Up to €3 billion will be mobilised over the next 12 months to support projects capable of delivering new supply in the near term. Early beneficiaries include Vulcan Energy’s lithium-extraction project in Germany and Greenland Resources’ Malmbjerg molybdenum project, which EU officials say could supply all European defence-sector molybdenum needs while meeting a quarter of total EU demand.

    Beginning in early 2026, Brussels will establish a European Critical Raw Materials Centre, responsible for providing market intelligence, coordinating financing across public and private partners, managing portfolios of strategic projects, and supporting joint purchasing and stockpiling to protect the EU market from supply shocks and political interference. A complementary Raw Materials Platform will aggregate industrial demand, help secure offtake agreements and facilitate collective procurement. A pilot EU-wide stockpiling mechanism is expected to be operational the same year.

    The Commission will also push to expand the bloc’s recycling capabilities. From early 2026, export restrictions will apply to permanent-magnet scrap and waste, with similar measures for aluminium—and potentially copper—now under review. Amendments to the CRMA will introduce additional labelling requirements and incentives for using recycled pre-consumer magnet waste.

    RESourceEU also includes measures to reduce Europe’s dependence on fertilisers derived from critical minerals, with an EU fertiliser and nutrient-recycling strategy due by mid-2026.

    Internationally, the EU plans to intensify cooperation with its 15 existing strategic raw-material partners, the newest being South Africa. Negotiations with Brazil will begin shortly, while dedicated investment frameworks are being advanced with Ukraine, the Western Balkans and the Southern Neighbourhood. Through the Global Gateway initiative, the EU will co-invest in mining and processing projects across emerging markets, supported by broader coordination through the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance and the G20 Critical Minerals Framework.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first outlined RESourceEU at the 2024 Berlin Global Dialogue, describing the initiative as essential to safeguarding the EU’s industrial base amid the “weaponisation” of critical raw materials by dominant suppliers.

    Industry leaders have welcomed the plan, noting its long-awaited focus on early-stage financing, faster permitting and supply-chain diversification. Rock Tech Lithium CEO Mirco Wojnarowicz said the initiative sends “a clear signal from Brussels: Europe wants control over its raw-materials supply back – and now,” calling the Commission’s recognition of lithium’s strategic importance crucial for the bloc’s energy and digital future. He added that RESourceEU provides strong momentum for the company’s Guben lithium converter in Brandenburg, set to become Europe’s first commercial lithium-hydroxide refinery with a planned output of 24,000 t/y.

  • EU Prepares New RESourceEU Strategy to Secure Critical Raw Materials and Reduce Dependence on China

    EU Prepares New RESourceEU Strategy to Secure Critical Raw Materials and Reduce Dependence on China

    The European Union is preparing to unveil a new economic security package next week, with a central component focused on safeguarding access to critical raw materials needed for clean technology and advanced industries. The initiative, known as RESourceEU, will form the bloc’s latest strategy to diversify supplies of essential inputs such as lithium, copper and nickel, and to reduce reliance on third-country suppliers — particularly China, which continues to dominate global clean-tech value chains and has tightened export controls on key materials.

    Modelled after the EU’s REPowerEU energy programme, RESourceEU is being developed against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and shifting global competition. The European Commission plans to use the strategy to forge new partnerships with resource-rich countries including Australia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and others, strengthening supply chains through long-term cooperation agreements.

    Recycling is set to play a central role. Brussels aims to significantly expand the EU’s capacity to recover critical materials from products reaching end-of-life, reducing the need for primary extraction. This dovetails with the Critical Raw Materials Act, which sets ambitious 2030 benchmarks: 10% of EU consumption of strategic minerals must come from domestic extraction, 40% from domestic processing and 25% from recycling. While many industry observers question whether these targets are achievable in time, they have nonetheless prompted European manufacturers to rethink business models and strengthen sourcing resilience.

    Additional EU initiatives are feeding into the strategy — from state aid tools supporting cross-border projects, to satellite-based exploration programmes designed to identify new raw material deposits. Financial support for battery manufacturing across Europe is also helping build internal value chains.

    Beyond Europe’s borders, the EU’s Global Gateway programme is funding major infrastructure and resource projects, particularly in Africa, with the intention of boosting local development while also ensuring stable supply routes for the EU. However, critics warn that the approach risks echoing historical patterns of extraction that disproportionately benefited Europe. EU officials insist the new strategy will prioritise equitable partnerships and avoid repeating colonial-era dynamics.

    RESourceEU is expected to outline a broad framework combining supply diversification, strategic investment, recycling expansion and international cooperation — all aimed at ensuring that Europe remains competitive and secure in an increasingly contested global market for critical raw materials.

  • EU Steps Up Critical Raw Materials Strategy as New RESourceEU Programme Targets Reduced Reliance on China

    EU Steps Up Critical Raw Materials Strategy as New RESourceEU Programme Targets Reduced Reliance on China

    The European Union is intensifying efforts to secure reliable access to the critical raw materials essential for clean technologies, energy security, and industrial competitiveness. Although China continues to dominate global refining and export of key materials such as rare earths, the EU has begun taking concrete steps to diversify supply and strengthen domestic capabilities—yet experts warn significantly more must be done to ensure long-term resilience.

    The 2024 Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) set the roadmap. It aims to bolster domestic mining, refining, and recycling while cutting dependence on any single external supplier. By 2030, the EU targets meeting 10% of its annual consumption through extraction, 40% via processing, and 15% through recycling. The CRMA also limits dependence on a single non-EU country to no more than 65% of supply for any critical raw material.

    Since its adoption, the EU has begun executing several key actions. In March 2025, the Commission selected 47 strategic projects for fast-track permitting, financing support, and priority access to buyers. A second round of selections will take place in January 2026. Member States are also required to strengthen monitoring of supply chain vulnerabilities and develop national resource plans.

    On the global stage, the EU has signed new raw material partnerships with Australia, Uzbekistan, Serbia, and Norway, with further collaboration planned with Greenland. Additional bilateral deals—such as Germany’s partnership with Canada—reinforce the diversification effort under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.

    Europe is also ramping up its processing capabilities. Neo Performance Materials recently opened a rare earth magnet factory in Estonia, the first of its kind in Europe, serving critical industries including automotive manufacturing and wind energy. Rare earth magnets are essential for permanent-magnet generators widely used in wind turbines due to their compactness and high performance.

    Recycling is another pillar of the CRMA. Member States must adopt national measures to improve collection and recycling of waste streams rich in critical raw materials, turning them into secondary supply sources.

    Building on these initiatives, Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné is preparing to unveil RESourceEU — a new strategy designed to strengthen EU purchasing power and reduce exposure to global supply risks. The programme includes a joint purchasing mechanism and strategic stockpiling centre for critical raw materials, enabling Member States to pool demand and negotiate better access conditions.

    RESourceEU is a direct response to rising geopolitical tensions and recent trade measures. China introduced export controls on rare earths and magnets earlier this year following U.S. tariffs, requiring foreign companies to obtain special licences. Although China has agreed to suspend some of the most restrictive measures for one year following negotiations with the United States, many controls—particularly on heavy rare earths—remain in effect and will continue to apply to EU imports.

    While the wind sector may avoid immediate disruption as long as light rare earths remain unaffected, the episode underscores Europe’s strategic vulnerability. Permanent magnets used in many modern turbines remain heavily dependent on Chinese supply chains.

    “The EU talks a good game on critical raw materials and has some good plans. It’s crucial they now execute,” said WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson. He stressed the importance of accelerating extraction and processing from alternative sources, adding that the RESourceEU plan “must translate into new action and increased urgency.”

  • EU Trade Chief Unveils Measures to Curb Aluminium Scrap Leakage and Shield Industry from Global Pressures

    EU Trade Chief Unveils Measures to Curb Aluminium Scrap Leakage and Shield Industry from Global Pressures

    BRUSSELS — Speaking to industry leaders, the EU’s trade commissioner outlined a series of new measures aimed at strengthening Europe’s aluminium sector amid rising geopolitical tensions, high energy costs, and intensifying global competition. Addressing the Aluminium Europe conference, he emphasized that aluminium is not only a pillar of the continent’s industrial history but also a critical material for its clean-tech future, defence capabilities, and strategic autonomy.

    The commissioner noted that aluminium remains essential to modern industries, underpinning technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, sustainable buildings, and resource-efficient packaging. Its designation as a strategic raw material under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) reflects its importance.

    The speech came against the backdrop of an “increasingly unpredictable” economic and geopolitical landscape, which has hit energy-intensive sectors particularly hard. The European Steel and Metals Action Plan, launched in March 2025, identifies the sector’s three primary challenges: persistently high energy costs, unequal global carbon-pricing systems, and unfair trade practices — the latter being the commissioner’s central focus.

    He highlighted that trade remains a core strength of the European economy, with over 700,000 EU companies exporting goods and supporting more than 30 million jobs. The aluminium industry alone exports over €10 billion annually to key destinations including the UK, U.S., Switzerland, Türkiye, and India.

    To support that competitiveness, the EU is expanding its network of free trade agreements, having recently concluded deals with Indonesia, Mercosur, and Mexico, and continuing negotiations with India, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and the UAE. As the EU will continue to rely on imports of bauxite and alumina, trade diversification remains essential.

    But openness, he stressed, must be paired with strong protective instruments. The EU will rigorously deploy its trade defence tools against dumped or subsidised imports and has established an import surveillance task force to monitor sudden surges, such as those linked to tariff changes by third countries. The recent EU ban on Russian aluminium under the 16th sanctions package was cited as an example of decisive action.

    A major industry concern is the “leakage” of aluminium scrap, with over one million tonnes leaving the EU annually despite scrap’s central role in decarbonisation and circularity. The commissioner announced that the EU is launching preparatory work on a new measure — expected by spring 2026 — aimed at balancing the needs of producers, recyclers, and downstream users while ensuring adequate access to competitively priced scrap. He underscored that the goal is not to block exports entirely but to safeguard a strategic commodity vital for low-carbon aluminium production. Public consultations will begin later this year.

    Another pressing issue remains the U.S. Section 232 tariffs, which impose 50% duties on EU aluminium and steel exports. Calling the tariffs “de facto prohibitive,” he said the Commission is pushing for a solution based on tariff-rate quotas tied to historical trade levels, maintaining the agreed 15% cap on all EU exports — including derivatives — under the EU-U.S. Joint Statement. He confirmed upcoming meetings with U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer to advance discussions.

    Concluding his remarks, the commissioner stressed that aluminium production is inherently complex and now further challenged by global instability. While trade policy tools are essential, deeper structural issues — such as energy pricing and investment conditions — must also be addressed to strengthen the long-term business case for producing aluminium in Europe.

    He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working closely with Aluminium Europe and the broader industry to deliver “tangible results in short order.”

  • EIT RawMaterials Invests in Greenland Resources to Boost Europe’s Magnesium Supply and Reduce Dependence on China

    EIT RawMaterials Invests in Greenland Resources to Boost Europe’s Magnesium Supply and Reduce Dependence on China

    EIT RawMaterials GmbH has announced a €0.5 million equity investment in Greenland Resources A/S, a wholly owned subsidiary of Greenland Resources Inc. and developer of the Malmbjerg molybdenum project in central-east Greenland. The initiative aims to accelerate the recovery of magnesium—currently being evaluated as a potential by-product—from both process water and primary ore, strengthening Europe’s resource security amid growing concerns over supply concentration.

    China currently supplies around 95%–97% of Europe’s magnesium imports, posing a major vulnerability for industrial sectors reliant on the metal. Magnesium is a critical alloying element in aluminum production and plays an essential role in lightweight mobility, defence applications, and modern manufacturing.

    Supported by the EU-backed European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), EIT RawMaterials has collaborated with Greenland Resources from the outset to develop sustainable European molybdenum production. The new financing, provided under the Horizon Europe framework, will enable testing and scaling of low-emission technologies to extract magnesium from saline process water generated during molybdenum operations. Additional investment from existing Greenland Resources shareholders will focus on recovering magnesium directly from primary ore.

    Bernd Schäfer, CEO and Managing Director of EIT RawMaterials, emphasized the strategic importance of the effort. “Magnesium is mission-critical for Europe’s competitiveness — from lightweight mobility to defence — and yet the EU depends on China for nearly all its supply,” he said. He noted that the initiative addresses risks to key industries such as aluminum manufacturing, where magnesium is indispensable, and aligns with EU efforts to expand access to critical raw materials while reducing carbon intensity.

    The investment supports the objectives of the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which targets diversification and increased security of critical material supplies by 2030. Magnesium is officially classified as both a critical and strategic raw material, making projects that expand domestic or allied production a clear priority for the EU.

    By advancing technologies to recover magnesium from both process water and ore, the project aims to add new, lower-carbon supply streams to Europe’s raw materials portfolio. It complements the EU’s broader CRMA Strategic Projects and fits within EIT RawMaterials’ mission to mobilize investment and innovation across the raw materials value chain.

    Greenland Resources secured a 30-year exploitation licence for molybdenum and magnesium in June 2025, creating a robust permitting framework for the development pathway that this investment supports.