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The EU wants at least 10% of its critical materials to come from domestic production and 15% from recycling, and Hungary sees potential in elements such as copper, aluminum, gallium, arsenic, and manganese.
A significant mineral ore deposit near the village of Recsk (115 km northeast of Budapest by road) is considered strategically significant for its copper, zinc, lead, silver, molybdenum, and rhenium content.
Modern mining projects can take 10–15 years and require several tens of billions of forints. Hungary is currently financing early‑stage exploration from its own resources while preparing projects for future private investment.
The Recsk deposit, whose deep sections have been flooded for nearly 30 years, must undergo new internationally standardized geological assessments because existing data is outdated and cannot reliably estimate extractable reserves.
The program also targets secondary resources such as mining waste and red mud.
Meanwhile, Hungary continues to rely heavily on imports. Some materials, such as heavy rare earths, are sourced 100% from abroad, mainly from China and Turkey.
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