New Mineral Raw Materials Action Plan in Spain: boosting exploration, sustainability and industry
The Spanish Government has approved the 2026–2030 Action Plan for the Sustainable Management of Mineral Raw Materials, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s position in the supply of critical resources while advancing towards a more sustainable, innovative and competitive mining sector.
With a total public investment of €414 million, the plan establishes a comprehensive roadmap to reinforce Spain’s role in the critical raw materials value chain, which is essential for the energy transition, digitalisation and industrial development across Europe.
A major boost to mineral exploration in Spain
One of the most relevant measures included in the plan is the launch of the National Mineral Exploration Programme (PNEM), with a budget of €182 million. This represents the first national-scale mineral exploration programme in Spain in more than 50 years.
The initiative aims to improve geological knowledge and unlock the country’s mineral potential, supporting the identification of strategic resources and contributing to a more secure and resilient supply of raw materials.
34 actions to strengthen the value chain
The Action Plan includes a total of 34 interdepartmental measures, designed to address the entire mineral raw materials value chain through an integrated and coordinated approach.
These measures are structured into several categories:
- Regulatory actions to improve the legal and administrative framework
- Sectoral measures to support the development of the extractive industry
- Cross-cutting actions to enhance institutional coordination
- Research, development and innovation (R&D&I) initiatives
Four strategic pillars for sustainable mining
The plan is built around four main strategic objectives:
- Strategic autonomy, reducing dependency on external suppliers
- Industrial development, strengthening the national industrial base
- Circular economy, promoting resource recovery and reuse
- Sustainability, ensuring responsible and environmentally sound resource management
In this regard, the plan also promotes the recovery of raw materials from mining waste, the reprocessing of existing deposits and the ecological restoration of mining sites.
Spain’s role in the European critical raw materials landscape
Mineral raw materials are essential for key sectors such as renewable energy, battery production, electric mobility and digital technologies. In this context, the European Union has identified the need to reinforce its strategic autonomy in accessing these resources.
Spain holds significant geological potential and already plays an important role at European level, being, among others, the second largest producer of copper in the EU and the only producer of strontium.
The implementation of this Action Plan is expected to further strengthen Spain’s position and contribute to the objectives set out in European policies on critical raw materials.
ISMC’s role in advancing sustainable mining
The Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC) welcomes the approval of this Action Plan as a key step towards strengthening the raw materials sector in Spain.
ISMC actively promotes innovation, sustainability and collaboration across the value chain, contributing to the development of advanced technological solutions and responsible mining practices aligned with European priorities.
Through its participation in EU-funded projects and its role as a facilitator of industrial ecosystems, ISMC supports the transition towards a more efficient, sustainable and socially responsible mining sector, essential for securing the supply of strategic raw materials.