EU tags copper and nickel as strategic, but industry wants more

The European metals sector welcomed a move by the EU on Thursday to include copper and nickel as strategic materials for the first time and ensure speedier permits and easier access to capital, but said more could be done to secure supplies.

The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) unveiled by the European Union adds the two major industrial metals to a list that had previously focused on more niche minerals such as cobalt, lithium and rare earths.