A core tension underlies the EU’s support for LKAB’s Per Geijer rare-earth mine in northern Sweden. The EU wants to fast-track projects critical to its green and industrial policies. Its strict environmental and Indigenous rights laws can slow or block these efforts, especially because of permitting requirements, biodiversity protections, and Sami rights obligations.
LKAB’s Per Geijer deposit near Kiruna has been granted “strategic project” status under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), making it eligible for EU-backed loans, guarantees and other de-risking instruments. The designation aims to accelerate domestic mining of materials essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence.
