20 February — Today, the European Commission’s Critical Raw Materials Board will decide on the selection of the Strategic Projects List under the Critical Raw Materials Regulation (CRMR). This list will determine which mining projects receive high-priority status and fast-tracked permitting to extract so-called strategic minerals. However, this process has been conducted behind closed doors, with no substantial transparency or engagement with civil society organisations, raising serious concerns about the democratic legitimacy of the decision-making process.

Despite repeated claims of upholding democratic principles and transparency, the European Commission has failed to disclose the specific projects under consideration, effectively shutting out public scrutiny and independent expertise. Civil society organisations, local communities, and environmental advocates have been left in the dark, unable to assess or challenge the environmental, social, and human rights implications of these projects.

The situation is exacerbated by the European Commission’s continued disregard for meaningful consultation and consent processes in key regions affected by mining expansion. Communities in Portugal, Serbia, and Sweden – where extractive projects have faced considerable public resistance – have been completely sidelined in the decision-making process. Their concerns about environmental degradation, land rights violations, and social impacts remain unaddressed.

Robin Roels, EU Raw Materials Coalition Coordinator, said:

“The EU must prioritise transparency, democratic accountability and human rights in its raw materials policy. This means disclosing all project proposals and partnership roadmaps, ensuring meaningful consultation with impacted communities, and reassessing partnerships that involve human rights violations.“

Furthermore, the European Commission has failed to take adequate action regarding serious issues linked to its strategic partnerships. The partnership with Rwanda, which raises serious concerns about sovereignty infringement and military-backed mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has not been adequately scrutinised. Reports of human rights violations and the use of military and paramilitary forces to secure mining sites have not led to any reassessment of the EU’s strategic engagement in the region.

With today’s decision, the European Commission is setting a dangerous precedent by prioritising corporate and geopolitical interests over democratic accountability, human rights, and environmental justice. The EU cannot claim to lead on responsible raw material sourcing while undermining the very principles of transparency and consent that it claims to uphold.

Demands for Accoutability

• Immediate disclosure of all projects considered for the planned Strategic Projects List
• Full transparency on the criteria used to determine strategic status
• Full transparency of the content of the MoUs and roadmaps of Strategic Partnerships
• Meaningful consultation and consent processes for impacted communities before any project is approved
• A cancellation of strategic partnerships that involve human rights violations and sovereignty infringements
• Civil society must be meaningfully involved and cannot be tokenised by symbolic meetings like forums, platforms and subgroups with no substance and no knowledge sharing from the Commission

The European Commission must rectify this opaque process and ensure that its raw materials policy aligns with democratic values, rather than reinforcing extractive injustices. Civil society and affected communities demand to be heard, and the time for transparency is now.

[ENDS]