COMMISSION DECISION (EU) 2025/1174

of 4 June 2025

recognising certain critical raw material projects located in third countries and in overseas countries or territories as Strategic Projects under Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(notified under document C(2025) 3491)

(only the English text is authentic)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 (1), and in particular Article 7(9) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 and in view of securing the Union’s supply of critical raw materials, the Commission is to identify projects for the extraction, processing, recycling or substitution of strategic raw materials, with the aim of recognising such projects as Strategic Projects under the framework laid down in Article 7 of that Regulation.

(2) In accordance with Article 7(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, the Commission launched on 23 May 2024 a call to apply for the recognition of a critical raw material project as a Strategic Project (2), with a cut-off date on 22 August 2024.

(3) Following the submission of applications, the Commission informed the applicants on 20 September 2024 whether the information provided was considered complete in accordance with Article 7(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252. Where an application was deemed to be incomplete, the Commission requested the applicant to submit additional information necessary to complete the application, within a short deadline.

(4) At the time of the cut-off date on 22 August 2024, 46 applications were submitted from proposed projects located in a third country and overseas country or territory (OCTs), 44 of which the Commission considered complete in accordance with Article 7(1) and (4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.

(5) In accordance with Article 7(5) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, the Commission informed the European Critical Raw Materials Board (the Board) established by Article 35(1) of that Regulation of the applications the Commission considered complete.

(6) After that completeness check, the Commission transmitted, in accordance with Article 7(8), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, the applications to third countries and OCTs whose territory is concerned by the proposed project.

(7) The Commission assessed those applications in accordance with the criteria specified in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, with the support of external experts with professional expertise in the technical, financial, environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions of a project, as well as in the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) (3). The Commission assessed the applications that clearly did not meet the assessment criteria set out in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 without the support of those external experts. The external experts’ consolidated opinion formed the basis for this Decision.

(8) In particular, the Commission assessed those applications in light of their contribution to the security of the Union’s supply of strategic raw materials, technical feasibility, sustainable implementation, and whether it is mutually beneficial for the Union and the emerging market or developing economy third country concerned by adding value therein, and listed in the Annex to this Decision the projects that fulfil all the criteria provided for in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252. These projects should therefore be recognised as Strategic Projects under that Regulation.

(9) The Commission provided the Board with its assessment in accordance with Article 7(6), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.

(10) All proposed projects that are recognised as a Strategic Project received the explicit approval of the third country or OCT concerned, in accordance with Article 7(8), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.

(11) The Commission should notify all applicants for the recognition of a project as Strategic Project of the adoption of this Decision. In particular, the Commission should notify all applicants of the result of its assessment and the reasoning thereof in accordance with the protection of trade and business secrets and other sensitive, confidential and classified information, as provided for in Article 46 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.

(12) The Commission should also provide this Decision to the Board and to the third country or OCT whose territory is concerned by the project(s), in accordance with Article 7(9), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252.

(13) This Decision is in accordance with the opinion of the Board,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The projects listed in the Annex are recognised as Strategic Projects.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the following undertakings:

Number	Project Promoter	Promoter address	Project Name
1	Pobuzhzhya’s Development LLC	Panasa Myrnoho Str., 6 (office 401), 01011 Kyiv, Ukraine	Balakhivka Graphite Deposit
2	Société Le Nickel	Rue Desjardins Doniambo 2, BPE5 – 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia	CaledoNi
3	GreenRoc Strategic Materials Plc	Gracechurch Street, 60 (6th floor), EC3V 0HR London, United Kingdom	Norgraph a/s and Greenland Graphite a/s
4	Magneto Investments Limited Partnership	Adelaide Street West, 22, ON, M5H 4E3 Toronto, Canada	Integrated Dumont Nickel Project
5	Rio Tinto (Local entity: Rio Sava Exploration doo)	St. James's Square 6, SW1Y4LD London, United Kingdom	Jadar
6	Kobaloni Energy Zambia Limited	Great East Road 87a, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia	Kobaloni Energy Zambia Ltd
7	EVION GROUP NL	Ord St. 28 (suite 3), WA 6005 West Perth, Australia	Maniry Graphite Mine Project
8	Nussir ASA	Sjøgata 9, 9600 Hammerfest, Norway	Nussir
9	Jervois Brasil Metalurgia Ltda.	Avenida Doutor José Arthur Nova 1309, 08.090-000 São Miguel Paulista (São Paulo), Brazil	São Miguel Paulista (SMP) Nickel and Cobalt Refinery Restart Project
10	Sarytogan Graphite Limited	Hay St. 8/110, WA 6008 Subiaco, Australia	Sarytogan Graphite Project
11	Mkango Resources Limited	Burrard Street 550, BC V6C 0A3 Vancouver, Canada	Songwe Hill Rare Earths
12	Tungsten West PLC	Hemerdon Mine (Drakelands), PL7 5BS, Devon, United Kingdom	Tungsten West
13	Frontier Rare Earths Limited	Rue Jean-Pierre Probst 4, L2352 Luxembourg, Luxembourg	Zandkopsdrift

Done at Brussels, 4 June 2025.

For the Commission

Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ

Executive Vice-President

(1)

OJ L, 2024/1252, 3.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/oj

(2)

Call for applications: Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act - European Commission

(3)

United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) | UNECE

ANNEX

LIST OF STRATEGIC PROJECTS

(1) Balakhivka Graphite Deposit is an ongoing extraction project in Ukraine. The project promoted by Pobuzhzhya’s Development LLC aims to contribute to the supply of graphite (battery grade).

(2) CaledoNi is an ongoing processing project in New Caledonia. The project promoted by Société Le Nickel aims to contribute to the supply of nickel (battery grade).

(3) Norgraph a/s and Greenland Graphite a/s is an ongoing integrated extraction and processing project in Norway (Norgraph a/s) and Greenland (Greenland Graphite a/s). The project promoted by GreenRoc Strategic Materials Plc aims to contribute to the supply of graphite (battery grade).

(4) Integrated Dumont Nickel Project is an ongoing extraction project in Canada. The project promoted by Magneto Investments Limited Partnership aims to contribute to the supply of nickel (battery grade) and cobalt.

(5) Jadar is an ongoing extraction project in Serbia. The project promoted by Rio Tinto via the local entity Rio Sava Exploration doo aims to contribute to the supply of lithium (battery grade) and boron (metallurgy grade).

(6) Kobaloni Energy Zambia Ltd is an ongoing processing project in Zambia. The project promoted by Kobaloni Energy Zambia Limited aims to contribute to the supply of cobalt.

(7) Maniry Graphite Mine Project is an ongoing extraction project in Madagascar. The project promoted by Evion Group NL aims to contribute to the supply of graphite (battery grade).

(8) Nussir is an ongoing extraction project in Norway. The project promoted by Nussir ASA aims to contribute to the supply of copper.

(9) São Miguel Paulista (SMP) Nickel and Cobalt Refinery Restart Project is an ongoing processing project in Brazil. The project promoted by Jervois Brasil Metalurgia Ltda. aims to contribute to the supply of nickel (battery grade) and cobalt.

(10) Sarytogan Graphite Project is an ongoing extraction project in Kazakhstan. The project promoted by Sarytogan Graphite Limited aims to contribute to the supply of graphite (battery grade).

(11) Songwe Hill Rare Earths is an ongoing extraction project in Malawi. The project promoted by Mkango Resources Limited aims to contribute to the supply of rare earth elements for magnets.

(12) Tungsten West is an ongoing extraction project in the United Kingdom. The project promoted by Tungsten West PLC aims to contribute to the supply of tungsten.

(13) Zandkopsdrift is an ongoing extraction project in South Africa. The project promoted by Frontier Rare Earths Limited aims to contribute to the supply of rare earth elements for magnets and manganese (battery grade).

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1174/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)