The last SUPEERA Policy Brief focuses on the Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (CRMs), aiming to lessen the EU’s dependence on concentrated supply chains of strategic metals and minerals.

The document analyses the different pathways to diversify the EU’s supply of CRMs, including upscaling domestic mining, recycling capacities, and forming new trade partnerships, which will be crucial to meet the needs of the Clean Energy Transition.  

The document emphasises that progress in these areas necessitates faster permitting, more incentives to encourage circularity, as well as a firm funding commitment to R&I, to develop new technologies that are not yet commercially available, and improve efficiency in the use of CRMs. Research efforts will have to focus on, among others, identifying new materials, improve their circularity, and expand their lifespans. All these elements will be key to developing a sustainable and secure European Critical Raw Materials strategy.

Read the policy brief here.