Permitting Bottlenecks

Europe's reliance on imported raw materials has left domestic mining underdeveloped over the last 30 years. Today, permitting delays of 10-15 years and restrictive regulatory frameworks threaten the clean energy transition. Responsible mining practices can mitigate environmental impacts, and initiatives like RESourceEU aim to streamline critical raw material permits while balancing environmental and strategic interests, including compliance with the Water Framework Directive.

Boosting Demand for EU Materials

A CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies)study highlights policy tools to stimulate investment in local raw materials. These include linking local content to public procurement, enforcing rules of origin in FTAs, establishing minimum market access standards, and mechanisms like floor prices or stockpiling with off-take guarantees.

Scaling the Battery Value Chain

OEMs report that Europe needs to expand battery cell production from 200 GWh today to 1,300 GWh by 2035 to meet the demand of approximately 15 million battery electric vehicles (BEVs) annually. Achieving this growth requires secure access to raw materials from European mining and recycling initiatives.

Making Local Content Strategic

Under the European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act(IAA), current coverage of key commodities is limited. Expanding the scope to include essential battery materials, such as lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, nickel, rare earths and more, will strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy.

Looking Ahead