Action plan presented a year ago approved. In addition to developing new potential mining sites, secondary mining is also a focus.
A year ago, the Spanish government unveiled an action plan to expand domestic extraction of critical raw materials. On Tuesday, the package of measures was approved by the Council of Ministers and allocated a budget of €414 million.
A total of €182 million will be invested in the country’s first national mining exploration program in 50 years. The initiative will not only identify potential new mining sites but also assess the resource potential of former mining facilities. Such sites often contain valuable raw materials, including rare earth elements, that were of limited economic interest in past decades but are now in high demand for a wide range of modern technologies.
The measures also include plans to modernize Spain’s mining legislation to align with the requirements of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The EU law, which entered into force in 2024, sets targets for 2030 covering the extraction, processing, and recycling of a range of critical raw materials.
Spain has a long mining tradition and today ranks as Europe’s second-largest producer of copper, third-largest producer of tungsten, and the continent’s only producer of strontium. In addition, seven of the 47 strategic projects selected under the CRMA for special support are located in Spain, most of them focused on lithium, nickel, and copper.
However, advancing new mining projects often proves challenging due to resistance from environmental groups and local communities. Progress at Matamulas, for example—often described as one of Europe’s most promising rare-earth deposits—has been stalled for years.
More on the topic: Similar to Spain, other European countries, such as Italy, are also seeking to revitalize their mining industries in order to reduce dependence on imports of critical raw materials.
Photo: ruivalesousa via Canva
