The European Commission and the government of New Caledonia signed a memorandum of understanding in Nouméa establishing a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials value chains, signed for the Commission by Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, and for New Caledonia by its president, Milakulo Tukumuli, and Alcide Ponga, the government member responsible for energy and mining. The partnership covers five areas: integration of critical raw materials value chains and access to finance under the Global Gateway strategy, sustainable mining with local value creation and site rehabilitation under EU environmental, social and governance standards, infrastructure for raw materials development, skills training, and research on exploration, processing and recycling. The two sides will now draw up a joint roadmap with EU member states, the European Investment Bank and industry, and the Commission said New Caledonia, which produced 3.1 percent of the world’s nickel in 2024, is its 17th raw materials partner since 2021.
EU and New Caledonia sign raw materials partnership
The European Commission and New Caledonia have signed a memorandum of understanding in Nouméa establishing a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials value chains, the EU's 17th such partnership since 2021.
Why it matters: New Caledonia accounted for 3.1 percent of global nickel production in 2024, and the agreement gives European industry a framework for finance, infrastructure and processing cooperation with one of the few large nickel producers inside the EU's overseas territories system.
Data as of European Commission press release IP/26/2205, October 19, 2026, read in full. The release states no investment amount and no deadline for the joint roadmap that follows the signing. Developing item.
Sources
- EU and New Caledonia sign strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials - European Commission - 2026-10-19