Mining firms’ plea for EU critical minerals budget falls on deaf ears

Minerals companies want a dedicated EU budget for critical raw materials, citing financing problems at strategic projects, but the European Commission and member states are so far refusing to give them one. EU industry ministers met in Brussels on Thursday (24 September) to discuss policies to boost EU competitiveness, with the commission also updating member states on the “state of play” of its flagship critical minerals policies. “We have identified European strategic projects and we are accelerating financing to them and accelerating the procedures as well,” executive vice president Stéphane Séjourné in charge of EU industrial strategy told press, without giving details on how. Asked about calls for a separate budget line, an EU official told EUobserver that there wouldn’t be one and that funding in the next EU budget would reflect “the identified needs for flexibility, predictability, and efficiency.”But the companies say that without money set aside, minerals will keep losing out to other priorities. To read this story, log in or subscribeEnjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.Read without limitsAlready a subscriber? Login