Critical and strategic raw materials are essential for the EU’s digital and environmental transition and for the Bulgarian economy. They are important for citizens and many industries, as well as for strategically important sectors such as the defence and aviation industries. Critical and strategic raw materials include 34 critical raw materials such as nickel, magnesium, graphite, aluminium, lithium, cobalt, etc. and 17 of them are designated as strategic.
List of strategic raw materials under Annex I of the Regulation
List of critical raw materials under Annex II of the Regulation
The EU’s efforts in this area are aimed at reducing the risk of supply chain disruptions, as the importance of these raw materials is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. The EU’s aim is to support sustainable projects for these important raw materials and to ensure that industrial sectors have the necessary resources, while maintaining EU environmental and social standards.
The EU Critical Raw Materials Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of Europеan Union (CRMA) concerning safeguarding the supply of critical raw materials in the European Union), which entered into force on 23 May 2024, sets a target for European extraction, processing and recycling of strategic raw materials to meet 10%, 40% and 25% of EU domestic demand by 2030.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council
The main role of the Regulation is to ensure the EU’s access to secure and sustainable supplies of critical raw materials. The Regulation aims to increase and diversify the supply of critical raw materials for the EU, to enhance circularity, including recycling, and to support research and innovation in the field of resource efficiency and the development of substitutes.
The Critical Raw Materials Act will reduce the administrative burden on companies by streamlining the permitting procedures for critical raw materials projects in the EU, while ensuring a high level of social and environmental protection.
In addition, those selected with strategic project status under the Regulation will benefit from support in access to finance and shorter permit issuance times (24 months for extraction permits and 12 months for processing and recycling permits).
According to Article 9 of the Regulation, Member States have an obligation to establish a Single Contact Point.
In implementation of Decision No. 338 of 30 April 2026 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Ministry of Economy, Investments and Industry has been designated as the Single Contact Point pursuant to Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 establishing a framework for ensuring secure and sustainable supplies of critical raw materials.
The purpose of the Single Contact Point is to facilitate and coordinate all administrative issues related to the permitting process for critical raw materials projects, as well as to provide information to businesses.
Strategic Projects
The Regulation allows projects to be granted strategic-project status.
According to Article 6(1) of the Critical Raw Materials Regulation, the Commission recognises as strategic raw materials projects those projects that meet the following criteria:
a) the project will significantly contribute to the security of supply of strategic raw materials for the Union;
b) the project is or will become technically feasible within a reasonable timeframe and the expected production volume of the project can be estimated with a sufficient level of confidence;
c) the project will be implemented in a sustainable manner, in particular with regard to monitoring, preventing and minimising environmental impacts, preventing and minimising adverse impacts through the use of socially responsible practices;
d) in the case of projects within the Union, the establishment, operation or implementation of the project will have cross-border benefits beyond the Member State concerned, including for downstream sectors;
e) for projects in third countries that are emerging markets or developing economies, the project will be of mutual benefit to the Union and the third country concerned by adding value in that third country.
Applications shall be submitted using the online application form developed by the European Commission at the following link:
The assessment is carried out by independent experts at the European Commission. The Commission then discusses the results of the assessment with the Member States before finalising the selection of strategic projects.
Those selected with the status of strategic projects under the Regulation will benefit from support for access to finance and shorter deadlines for issuing permits (24 months for extraction permits and 12 months for processing and recycling permits).