Italy is set to adopt a package of measures aimed at boosting procurement and reuse of critical raw materials, a draft decree seen by Reuters shows, including simpler permitting procedures for the release of mining concessions.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has made it a priority to extract more such materials at home to make local industries less reliant on imports from countries like China.

Italy estimates it can domestically source 16 of the 34 raw materials considered critical by the European Union, including lithium and bauxite.

The draft, promoted by Industry Minister Adolfo Urso, states that projects for the extraction, processing or recycling of these materials are “non-deferrable and urgent.”

Licences for these activities have to be issued within a maximum of 18 months under the scheme, which government officials said could be discussed by the cabinet as early as Thursday.

The government is working within the framework of the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, a centrepiece of the bloc’s strategy to ensure its industry can compete with the United States and China in making clean tech products and accessing the necessary materials.