MEPs want to establish a critical raw materials (CRM) centre as a self-standing EU agency, with dedicated funding, clear governance and democratic legitimacy. It would bring together market intelligence, resilience planning, stockpiling, joint purchasing, stakeholder engagement, and financial instruments. The proposed centre should be equipped with the resources necessary to fulfil its mandate, including a CRM Fund of €2 billion foreseen under the EU’s 2028-2034 long-term budget.
The European Commission, rather than individual member states, would be responsible for identifying which “large companies” use critical raw materials in a particular strategic sector (e.g. batteries, hydrogen equipment, aircraft, drones, satellites or advanced chips), their use of which would trigger resilience obligations for the companies, such as mapping supply chains and taking measures to reduce vulnerabilities. MEPs also want the Commission to open applications for strategic projects at least twice a year, giving companies clear and predictable deadlines.
To improve the overall effectiveness of the framework, MEPs call for price-stabilisation mechanisms such as contracts for difference (CfDs), which could give developers of extraction, processing and recycling projects revenue certainty. They also want to expand the EU’s existing joint purchasing mechanism to facilitate the coordinated strategic stockpiling of critical raw materials across member states and businesses.
