Battery Live Talk: Lithium, Legislation and Limits
Europe’s Reality Check One Year After CRMA

One year after the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), Europe faces a reality check on its quest for raw material sovereignty. This panel will take stock of where Europe stands one year after CRMA: Are we on the right track to secure critical battery raw materials, especially lithium? What remains to be done to close the gap between ambition and reality—and can legislation shape social acceptance for mining and processing in Europe? Experts Peter Tom Jones (KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals) and Michael Schmidt (DERA) will discuss progress, remaining bottlenecks, and the limits of Europe’s quest for raw material sovereignty.

What will be discussed?

• Where does Europe stand one year after the entry into force of the CRMA?
• Is Europe truly on the right track toward strategic autonomy?
• How can social acceptance and sustainability be aligned with industrial ambitions?

China’s recent export restrictions on lithium-ion batteries, key cathode and anode materials, and critical manufacturing equipment — effective November 8, 2025 — are set to disrupt global supply chains and extend production lead times for companies outside China. This move follows earlier controls on advanced battery technologies and lithium processing, raising urgent questions for Europe’s strategic autonomy.

Since the entry into force of the EU CRMA, the EU has taken significant steps forward: new bilateral trade agreements have been advanced, and on 25 March 2025 the Commission designated 47 strategic projects across the EU—many within the battery value chain, covering lithium, nickel and cobalt. A further 13 strategic projects outside Europe, announced on 4 June 2025, strengthen partnerships with key producing countries such as Canada, Norway, Serbia, Zambia, and Kazakhstan—ten of them directly focused on battery raw materials like lithium. 

But despite new trade deals and new strategic projects, can domestic lithium and battery supply chains meet ambitions?