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Short abstract

This paper examines the relationship between risk and criticality in the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act. It analyses how these concepts are constructed, by whom, and the socio-material processes shaping them, as well as their political deployment and effects on territories targeted for mining.

Long abstract

The emerging literature on criticality highlights its dynamic and fluid nature, shaped by factors such as geopolitics, expert practices, technological developments, price fluctuations, and regulatory frameworks. In the context of raw materials policy, criticality is closely tied to notions of risk and security. For example, the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) of 2024 defines criticality based on two parameters: the economic importance of materials and the risks associated with their supply. This paper examines the construction of risks as a socio-material process shaped by values, expert practices, technological devices, and institutional frameworks embedded in power relations.

Drawing on 10 months of fieldwork in Portugal and Brussels, including participant observation, interviews, and document analysis, this paper explores the relationship between risk and criticality in the CRMA. It examines how risks are defined, by whom, and their connection to criticality. Furthermore, it analyses how criticality and risk are shaped by various interests and agendas, as well as how they are politically deployed and the concrete effects they produce on territories targeted for mining development under the CRMA. It contributes to an understanding of how these concepts are produced, justify action, and shape governance, often exacerbating inequalities and territorial conflicts.