CRMA in brief: how the European Raw Materials Act affects your company
Europe wants to be less dependent on vulnerable raw material chains. With the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), the EU is firmly committed to the domestic extraction, processing, and recycling of critical raw materials. This has significant consequences for technology companies working with batteries, magnets, chips, or high-tech metals: their raw materials policy is becoming a strategic issue with new risks and opportunities. In this article, we explain the background of this law and its impact on your company.
What does the CRMA regulate and why is it important?
The CRMA, laid down in Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, entered into force on 23 May 2024. The law focuses on raw materials crucial for the energy transition, semiconductors, defense, and digital infrastructure. It covers 17 strategic and 34 critical raw materials, including lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements.
Europe is heavily dependent on imports of these raw materials from non-EU countries, with China as the largest supplier. This dependency makes companies vulnerable to geopolitical tensions and export restrictions. This became painfully clear in 2020 when the pandemic caused a global component shortage, putting many companies in dire straits. The CRMA aims to prevent a recurrence of such a scenario by encouraging sovereignty.
What is the purpose of the CRMA?
The CRMA is more than a legal framework. It's a geopolitical instrument to strengthen business resilience, reduce dependence on non-European suppliers, and stimulate the emergence of a European circular raw materials market. For technology companies, this means a stable supply of components, fewer price fluctuations, and better conditions for long-term planning.
To achieve this, European companies working with strategic and critical raw materials must achieve the following four targets by 1 January 2030.
- At least 10 percent of raw materials must be sourced within the EU
- Process at least 40 percent within the EU
- At least 25 percent of raw materials come from recycling
- A maximum of 65 percent of each strategic raw material may come from a non-EU country
What are the implications for technology companies?
For technology companies in the Netherlands and Belgium, the CRMA offers both protection and growth opportunities. Reporting and licensing procedures have been tightened, but the law also offers more opportunities to operate closer to home. source and to collaborate with European partners.
The emphasis on European processing and risk diversification will ultimately increase control over the supply chain for companies that rely on metals, magnets, batteries, or electronic components. Furthermore, the CRMA creates opportunities in the areas of recycling and circularity. European member states are required to actively promote the circular use of raw materials. This increases the demand for recycling technology within the industry. Dutch and Belgian technology companies can benefit from this by acting as system suppliers or knowledge partners.
What are strategic projects and what can I do with them?
An important instrument within the CRMA is the so-called strategic projects These are projects that focus on extracting, processing, or recycling strategic raw materials that are essential for European security of supply.
The European Commission assesses whether a project meets the criteria and its official status strategic project This status offers advantages: accelerated permitting through a single national portal (in the Netherlands: the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy), better access to financing through InvestEU and Horizon Europe, among others, and greater visibility among partners and investors.
Companies or consortia can submit their proposal until January 15, 2026 submit to the European Commission via the official CRMA website.
What can you do now?
For technology companies, this is the perfect time to make preparations.
- Map your raw materials
Which critical and strategic raw materials are used in your products or processes, and what is their origin? Consider magnets, batteries, printed circuit boards, chips, special alloys, and chemicals. - Check regulations and permits
For more information, contact the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. You can check online whether your company is subject to the notification or permit requirement and find out where to go with questions about the CRMA. - Join a network
Consider joining a business network, such as the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA). Here, companies, governments, and research institutions collaborate on a reliable and stable European raw materials supply chain. FHI is also happy to assist you as a knowledge and collaboration partner. - Submit your project for the status of 'strategic project'
Are you working on technology related to the extraction, processing, or recycling of critical raw materials? Then find out if your initiative qualifies for the status strategic projectPlease note: the second submission round closes on January 15, 2026.
What does FHI do for your company?
Within the FHI network, we closely monitor the latest developments surrounding the CRMA and related legislation. We do this by organizing meetings, expert groups, trade fairs, and events, among other things. FHI is also a member of MKB-Nederland (the Dutch Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and is represented on its executive board. Within MKB-Nederland, legislation and regulations are a high priority, and we lobby jointly for reduced regulatory burden. All FHI members are automatically members of MKB-Nederland.
Check out the website for more information about the benefits of FHI membership.
Nederlands