The EU Commission has presented its list of strategic projects under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, but concerns have been expressed regarding over its ability to create a ‘just transition’ by virtue of its lack of transparency in the selection, raising issues related to accountability, human rights, Indigenous rights, and public participation.

Robin Roels, coordinator of the EU Raw Materials Coalition expressed these doubts: “The opaque selection of Strategic Projects severely undermines public trust in the EU’s critical raw materials strategy. If the EU is serious about a fair and sustainable transition, it must open up this process to genuine scrutiny and ensure that community voices are heard. Civil society, Indigenous Peoples, affected local communities, and independent experts have been largely excluded from the decision-making process, leaving the assessment and prioritisation of projects unclear. Despite repeated requests, the full list of project applicants and the evaluation criteria remain undisclosed.”

EC President von der Leyen announced the Critical Raw Materials Act during her 2022 State of the Union speech. As a part of Green Deal Industrial Plan, it attempts to address EU dependency on imported critical raw materials by diversifying and securing sustainable supply.

Presented in parallel with the EU’s Net Zero Industry Act, the Act is designed to help scale up the EU manufacture of key carbon neutral or net-zero technologies to ensure a secure, sustainable and competitive supply chain for clean energy to reach the EU’s climate and energy ambitions.

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