Summary
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Details
- European Union
The CRMA is mandatory for Member States and relevant industrial operators.
Mandatory Requirements:
Meet the 2030 sourcing, processing, and recycling targets.
Implement national monitoring and risk assessment systems.
Facilitate permitting for strategic projects.
Ensure environmental and social safeguards in extraction and processing.
Exceptions and Flexibility:
Member States with limited geological potential may focus on recycling or processing instead of extraction.
SMEs are subject to simplified reporting and due diligence procedures.
Flexibility applies in cases of force majeure or severe global supply disruptions.
Deep dive
What’s Required
The EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, establishes a comprehensive framework to strengthen the EU’s supply security for critical and strategic raw materials essential for clean technologies, batteries, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure.
It defines 34 critical raw materials (CRMs) and 17 strategic raw materials (SRMs), including lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and copper. The Act sets binding targets for the EU to achieve by 2030:
10% of annual consumption is extracted within the EU.
40% processed in the EU.
25% sourced from recycling.
No more than 65% dependency on a single third-country supplier for any material.
Companies and Member States must ensure the traceability, sustainability, and diversification of CRM supply chains, while strategic projects benefit from streamlined permitting and access to financing.
Important Deadlines
March 2023: Proposal by the European Commission.
April 2024: Adoption by the European Parliament and Council.
May 2024: Entry into force.
By 2025: Member States to designate national competent authorities and submit CRM monitoring strategies.
By 2030: Achievement of extraction, processing, and recycling targets.
Current Status
The CRMA is in force and part of the Green Deal Industrial Plan. It aims to secure raw material supply for clean technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and hydrogen electrolysers.
Implementation is coordinated by the European Commission (DG GROW) through a newly created European Critical Raw Materials Board, responsible for monitoring progress and coordinating national strategies.
Member States must assess domestic resources, identify potential strategic projects, and enhance recycling infrastructure. The CRMA also includes sustainability provisions aligned with the EU Taxonomy and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The regulation requires Member States to enforce effective and proportionate penalties for failure to comply with reporting, monitoring, or permitting obligations. Sanctions may include administrative fines, suspension of project authorisation, or withdrawal of strategic status for non-conforming operators.
Examples of Known Violations
As of 2025, no violations or enforcement actions have been reported. The European Commission will publish the first implementation report and progress review in 2026.
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