The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) aims to secure the supply of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) for EU industries. Its extractivist approach boosts corporate profits while threatening communities, ecosystems, and global resource justice. Together with Friends of the Earth Europe, Amigos de la Tierra, Iberian Mining Observatory and MiningWatch Portugal, EEB has published a position paper to voice serious concerns about the decision-making process of the Strategic Projects, to be selected within the framework of the EU Raw Materials Act. The Commission launched the call for applications in May 2024 and refuses to provide transparency regarding the companies that have submitted mining projects.

The position paper is accompanied by several factsheets about specific mining projects that are opposed by local communities and pose grave threats to the environment. All case studies are characterised by systemic problems: social engineering, irreversible risks for biodiversity, water and soil quality as well as flawed permitting processes. We urge the Commission to exclude harmful mining projects that do not comply with EU regulations or international standards. Instead, the CRMA must prioritse CRM demand mitigation and circular economy strategies in order to prevent socio-environmental risks and maintain our economies within planetary boundaries.

Factsheet Rovina
Factsheet Alberta
Factsheet Barroso