Brussels – Developing a European infrastructure dedicated to critical raw materials, so that the EU can free itself from its dangerous dependencies on third countries, and establishing it in Veneto: This Italian ambition, articulated by the Minister for Enterprise and “Made in Italy”, Adolfo Urso, is becoming increasingly tangible. In Brussels for the Competitiveness Council, the minister today (24 September) announced “Italy’s bid for the European call for proposals for a strategic storage hub for critical materials” to the Executive Vice-President responsible for Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné. This is a factor that is also linked to the autonomy and strengthening of Europe’s industrial base. “We must safeguard production capacity and jobs, while at the same time reducing our strategic dependencies,” he emphasised.
The storage hub is a strategic project for which the Veneto Region and the Italian government have put forward the Porto Marghera industrial area (Venice) – alongside the Interporto Quadrante Europa in Verona and the north-east logistics network – to become one of Europe’s leading centres for the storage and strategic management of essential materials such as rare earths.
The initiative had already been launched on 12 June 2026, when Séjourné was in Italy to carry out an inspection of the Venetian port area. At the time, the French commissioner had stated that “the Italian bid with the pilot project” represented “a particularly interesting initiative, because it puts national infrastructure and expertise at the service of the whole of Europe.” The minister had reiterated that “Porto Marghera, together with the other sites, represents a natural logistics and industrial hub, forming part of an ecosystem already active in recycling, processing, and new technology supply chains.” It is “through this systemic capacity that Italy intends to contribute to security of supply and European industrial autonomy,” he added.
The European Union is considering the creation of hubs and strategic storage sites for critical raw materials under initiatives linked to the
Critical Raw Materials Act
(CRMA), an EU regulation that officially came into force in May 2024. The regulations aim to ensure a secure supply of critical raw materials (such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths) for Europe, which are particularly vital for the green transition. At present, the EU is heavily dependent on imports from third countries, particularly China.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
