Unlocking Capital: Securing Europe’s Raw Materials Future

Despite a strong policy focus Europe’s strategic mining, processing, and recycling projects face a critical investment challenge: a lack of European equity, limited sovereign funding progress, and growing competition from the US and Australia. With European stakeholders often relegated to minority positions in strategic assets, how can the EU regain control over its raw materials future? A key barrier to project finance remains the absence of transparent pricing for critical raw materials, making traditional funding mechanisms unworkable. However, some European players have pioneered export credit financing as a viable solution—can this model be scaled and leveraged at the EU level? This panel will explore how Europe can develop innovative funding mechanisms, connect alternative capital sources, and create financial instruments that accelerate project development while ensuring strategic control.