CATALONIA — The European Commission plans to revise the E.U. water framework directive to accelerate the development of critical minerals mines. This revision aims to remove permitting bottlenecks and improve access to strategic minerals.

The E.U. designated 47 mining, processing, and recycling projects as strategic projects, which include 33 mines. Six of these strategic mines are planned for water-stressed areas in Spain, with others located in Portugal and Greece.

Spain, Portugal, and Greece rank among the top 10 E.U. nations for water scarcity, according to the European Environment Agency. In 2024, the Spanish region of Catalonia declared a state of emergency over a drought, and water-use restrictions were imposed in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Mining operations require water for ore processing, dust suppression, waste management, and mine dewatering.

Ecologistas en Acción is challenging the European Commission's decision to grant strategic project status to six Spanish mines. The organization argues the European Commission failed to properly consider risks to water resources, biodiversity, and protected areas. "The mining industry had not presented a shred of evidence that the water framework directive was creating bottlenecks for mining projects." Sara Johansson, water policy manager at the European Environmental Bureau, said.

"The strategic projects were assessed by independent experts and must comply with E.U. environmental law." a European Commission spokesperson said. "The water framework directive review would consider ways to improve access to critical raw materials while protecting the environment and human health, with environmental and water impact assessments carried out by national authorities." the spokesperson added.

Kaveh Madani, director of the U.N. University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, said safeguards are fragile. "The safeguards now being portrayed as obstacles are already fragile and full of gaps." Madani said. "Removing them may be celebrated as efficiency today, but history may judge it as recklessness tomorrow." "Fast-tracking mining in water-stressed regions by weakening safeguards is a form of Russian roulette." Madani said. "It may look like an economic booster in the short term, but one serious failure in the wrong location can neutralize many of the promised gains especially when the damage to people, rivers, aquifers and ecosystems is long-lasting or irreversible."

Johansson said dismantling protections undermines Europe's water resilience. "Dismantling those protections undermines Europe's water resilience and leaves taxpayers, farmers and communities to pay – both with their health and their wallets." The Commission's water framework directive protects rivers, groundwater, and wetlands in the E.U. Euromines, a trade association, has advocated for revising the water framework directive, seeking longer deadlines for countries to meet water quality targets and amendments to the no deterioration rule for water bodies. Euromines also seeks greater legal certainty for mining and other industrial projects.