The European Commission has announced the completion of the selection of 46 new strategic projects covering 16 EU member states. The main objective of the initiative is to strengthen supply chains for critical raw materials and diversify their sources, which should reduce the EU's dependence on a limited number of external suppliers. According to the statement, the projects address various stages of the production chain — from extraction and processing to recycling of secondary raw materials. The selection of such initiatives is part of a broader EU strategy to ensure economic resilience and technological sovereignty amid growing competition for resources needed for the "green" and digital transition. Critical raw materials, including rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt and other materials, play a key role in the production of batteries, semiconductors, renewable energy sources and defense products. In recent years, the European Union has faced challenges related to the high concentration of supplies of such materials in the hands of a few countries, which creates risks for the bloc's industry. A press release from the European Commission published in Brussels on October 9, 2026, emphasizes that the selected projects will receive support within the efforts to implement the provisions of the regulation on critical raw materials adopted earlier. The implementation of these projects is expected to strengthen the EU's internal production capacity and reduce dependence on imports from third countries. Details regarding specific projects, funding amounts and implementation timelines are not fully disclosed in the presented statement; however, the initiative is considered an important step in implementing the EU's industrial and resource strategy.