The European Commission has received 170 mining applications with the hope of being designated a strategic CRMA project, but due to the rush, the decisions are now postponed until spring. This is according to the industry website Metal Supply.

CRMA has been described as a fast track for mining decisions.

The EU Critical Raw Materials Act, which came into force in May 2024, aims to reduce the EU's dependence on countries such as China for critical raw materials while strengthening the green transition.

Strategic raw materials include lithium, nickel and rare earth elements.

Swedish companies that have applied to have their projects designated as CRMA projects are Boliden, LKAB, Blue Lake Minerals, Eurobattery Minerals and Leading Edge Materials, according to the website.