The European Union and New Caledonia have signed a strategic partnership to develop sustainable raw materials supply chains, strengthen investment and support local mineral processing.
The European Commission and the government of New Caledonia signed a memorandum of understanding on 20 October in Nouméa, establishing a framework for cooperation across the raw materials value chain.
The agreement was signed by European Commission Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné, New Caledonia government president Milakulo Tukumuli and Alcide Ponga, the government member responsible for energy and mining.
New Caledonia, a major nickel producer, accounted for 3.1% of global nickel production in 2024, according to the European Commission. The agreement is the EU’s 17th strategic raw materials partnership since 2021.
The partnership identifies five areas of cooperation: industrial integration and investment, sustainable mineral development, infrastructure, skills development, and research and innovation.
Under the agreement, the two sides will seek to develop projects of common interest, facilitate access to financing and mobilise support from EU institutions, member states, financial institutions and private investors.
The partnership also aims to increase local value creation from mineral resources while promoting responsible extraction and compliance with environmental, social and governance standards. Cooperation will cover mine closure and rehabilitation, as well as infrastructure needed to support raw materials production and processing.
The two sides will also work to strengthen skills along the supply chain through cooperation among educational institutions, vocational training providers, researchers and industry.
Research and innovation initiatives will cover prospecting, exploration, extraction, processing, refining and recycling technologies, as well as material substitution and circularity.
The Commission said the partnership would support efforts to diversify and strengthen the resilience of EU raw materials supply chains, in line with the Critical Raw Materials Act and the RESourceEU Action Plan.
Following the signing, the EU and New Caledonia will jointly develop a roadmap in consultation with EU member states, the European Investment Bank, industry and other partners. The roadmap will set out concrete actions to implement the partnership.
The initiative also forms part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to strengthen international connections and mobilise investment in infrastructure and other strategic sectors.
