The European Union’s Regulations on Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) were first announced in 2022 in a speech by Ursula von der Leyen, emphasizing the urgent need to reduce the EU’s dependence on CRMs by diversifying and securing a sustainable supply of minerals within the bloc. These regulations were officially published in 2024 under the name Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), with a primary focus on securing access to CRMs essential for the energy transition and green technology.
This regulation serves as the EU’s response to its mineral consumption, which accounts for 25-30% of global production due to the rapid pace of the energy transition. CRMs are selected based on their economic significance and supply risk, including a subset of strategic raw materials (SRMs) identified for their relevance to the green and digital transitions, as well as their applications in the defense and aerospace sectors. The regulation covers 34 CRMs, 17 of which are categorized as SRMs.
