Critical Raw Materials Act: provisional agreement struck

On 13 November, the European Council and Parliament struck a provisional agreement on the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).

The Regulation establishes a framework to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials. The agreement keeps the overall objectives of the original Commission proposal but strengthens several elements.

Notably, aluminium has been added to the list of strategic and critical materials. In total, 34 materials are considered critical, while 17 are considered strategic.

The Commission proposal sets certain benchmarks for the European Union’s capacity to extract (10%), process (40%) and recycle (15%) these materials.

The provisional agreement maintains the benchmark for extraction and processing but increases the benchmark for recycling to at least 25% of the EU’s annual raw material consumption. In addition, there should be a significant increase in the recovery of raw materials contained in waste.

The CRMA was proposed by the European Commission in March. The speed of its adoption shows its importance to the resilience of the European Union.

In particular, the changes made to recycling capacity reflect the increasing importance of the circular economy to ensuring a sustainable supply of raw materials.

The provisional agreement must now be approved and formally adopted by both institutions before it can enter into force.

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