Critical raw materials projects

Critical raw materials are economically important materials that are needed for purposes other than energy or agricultural use. They involve a high supply risk because their availability and production are mainly concentrated in a few countries.

The following raw materials are considered critical (in their unprocessed form, at any stage of processing and when occurring as a by-product of other extraction, processing or recycling processes):

• antimony
• arsenic
• baryte
• bauxite/aluminium oxide/aluminium
• beryllium
• boron
• fluorspar
• phosphorus
• gallium
• germanium
• graphite
• hafnium
• helium
• light rare earth metals
• cobalt
• coking coal
• copper
• lithium
• feldspar
• magnesium
• manganese
• nickel - battery grade
• niobium
• silicon metal
• metals of the platinum group
• phosphate rock
• heavy rare earth elements
• scandium
• strontium
• tantalum
• titanium metal
• vanadium
• bismuth
• tungsten

The list was updated on 26 February 2026. It may be amended by the European Commission. Up-to-date information is available in EUR-Lex database, see link at the bottom of this page.

A critical raw materials project refers to a project that involves

• extracting, processing or recycling critical raw materials, and
• planning the establishment of a facility or a significant extension or repurposing of an existing facility .

Extraction

Extraction means the extraction of ores, minerals and plant products from their original source as a main product or a by-product.  Original sources include minerals found underground, under and in water, and in brine and trees.

Processing

Processing refers to all processes involved in the transformation of raw materials into economically usable forms.

These processes include:

• physical, chemical and biological processes
• transforming raw materials from ores, minerals, plant products or waste into pure metals or alloys
• beneficiation, separation, smelting and refining.

Processing does not include working and further transforming metal into intermediate and final products. 

Recycling

Recycling refers to the reprocessing of waste materials into products, materials or substances. The end products of reprocessing may be used for the original purpose or for other purposes.
Recycling includes the reprocessing of organic material.

Recycling does not include energy recovery or reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for backfilling operations.

Strategic raw materials are critical raw materials that are of high importance for the EU internal market. They are used in technologies for the green and digital transition and in defence and aerospace applications.

The estimated global demand for strategic raw materials is typically higher than their supply. In addition, increasing the production of strategic raw materials is difficult. 

The following raw materials are also considered strategic raw materials (in their unprocessed form, at any stage of processing and when occurring as a by-product of other extraction, processing and recycling processes):

• bauxite/aluminium oxide/aluminium
• boron – metallurgy grade
• gallium
• germanium
• graphite - battery grade
• cobalt
• copper
• lithium - battery grade
• rare earth elements for permanent magnets (Nd, Pr, Tb, Dy, Gd, Sm, and Ce)
• magnesium metal
• manganese – battery grade
• nickel - battery grade
• silicon metal
• metals of platinum group
• titanium metal
• bismuth
• tungsten

The list was updated on 26 February 2026. It may be amended by the European Commission. Up-to-date information is available in EUR-Lex database, see link at the bottom of this page.

 

Strategic Project status has the following impacts:

• The overall permit-granting process of the project must be handled within the time limits laid down in the CRMA.
• Applications for environmental and water permits relating to a Strategic Project are prioritised by the Finnish Supervisory Agency over other permit applications referred to in the Environmental Protection Act and Water Act.
• Matters concerning the environmental and water permits of the project must be processed as urgent in courts of appeal.
• In permit consideration, the project is deemed to involve a public interest, or an overriding public interest, which may make it possible to deviate from the environmental objectives of river basin management or the protection of a Natura 2000 network site.

  
Status as a Strategic Project does not affect the preconditions for granting a permit or provisions relating to pollution control. Neither does this status undermine the level of environmental protection or the quality of the environmental assessments that must be completed for the projects.

For more information on Strategic Project status, application instructions and the application form, see the European Commission’s website:

• Strategic projects under the CRMA - European Commission

Frequently Asked Questions:

• FAQs - European Commission

Questions related to the application process can also be sent directly to the European Commission to [email protected].

The calculation of the time limit for the overall permit-granting process starts when the authority dealing with the matter concludes that the first application or notification contains adequate information, or when a notice of the environmental impact assessment report has been published. The calculation of the time limit ends when the authority issues its decision on the last pending matter. Zoning and appeal processes for the project are not included in the time limit calculation.

We will notify the project promoter of the start and end of the time limit calculation and of any changes.

The time limits for the overall permit-granting process for a Strategic Project are as follows:

• 27 months when the project involves extraction.
• 15 months when the project only involves processing or recycling.

If the overall permit-granting process of a project is already pending before it is recognised as a Strategic Project, the handling of the overall process may not take longer than 

• 24 months for projects involving extraction
• 12 months for projects only involving processing or recycling.

If an environmental impact assessment is required for the project, the calculation of the time limit for the overall permit-granting process begins when a notice of the environmental impact assessment report is published. If the assessment needs to be supplemented after the notice has been published, the period between the deadline for submitting the supplement and its submission is not included in the duration of the overall permit-granting process.

No sanctions are imposed on the authorities if the time limits for the overall permit-granting process are exceeded. However, the State of Finland must ensure that the authorities processing matters related to Strategic Projects have sufficient resources and personnel to process them within the time limits laid down in the Critical Raw Materials Act. The project promoter and authorities processing matters related to the project must also take action to ensure that processing the permits within the time limits laid down in the Act is possible.

In exceptional cases, the Finnish Supervisory Agency may extend the time limit for the overall permit-granting process if the nature, complexity, location or scale of a Strategic Project so requires. 

The time limit can be extended before its expiry at most by

• six months in projects that involve extraction
• three months in projects that only involve processing or recycling.

Grounds for extending the time limit could include unforeseen circumstances giving rise to a need to add to or complement environmental assessments related to the project.

If the authority processing the matter cannot issue a decision within the processing time limit specified in the detailed schedule, the authority submits to the contact point services a justified proposal on extending the time limit.

If the time limit is extended, we will inform the project promoter of the decision in writing. We will also inform them of the grounds for the decision and the new deadline for the overall permit-granting process. This decision cannot be appealed.

We will draw up a detailed schedule for the overall permit-granting process together with the project promoter and the authorities handling matters relating to the project. We will draw up the schedule within one month of beginning the calculation of the time limit for the overall permit-granting process. The project promoter must publish the schedule on their website.

We will update the schedule if the end date of the overall permit-granting process changes significantly.

Depending on the type and scale of the project, several different permits and procedures may be required for carrying out a Strategic Project, including an environmental impact assessment procedure, an environmental and water permit and a building permit. To find out about the permits needed to implement a project and other obligations relating to it, you can visit the Suomi.fi service. See the end of this page for a link to the service.

In issues of discretionary assessment of permit matters, you can contact the authority dealing with the matter.