Serbia: New protests threaten EU-backed lithium extraction plan

This article was originally published in English

A few days before signing a Cooperation agreement with the EU on the supply of critical raw materialsSerbia gave the green light again to Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto for exploit what could be Europe’s largest lithium reservesbut further delays look possible as a new wave of protests sweeps the country.

The Jadar mining project was on hold since 2022when Belgrade withdrew approval of a spatial plan for the 250-hectare site amid widespread public opposition.

But after that A Constitutional Court declared the measure illegal earlier this month.the government headed by President Aleksandar Vučić quickly adopted a decree on July 16 allowing the immediate resumption of the project.

Three days later, European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič signed a “strategic partnership“at a summit in the Serbian capital attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and both were at pains to stress that the environmental standards would be essential, but this does not seem to have calmed the concerns of local environmental activists.

After days of local protests, environmental groups have called for what they hope will be A mass demonstration in Belgrade on August 10the deadline set by the Alliance of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS) for the government to respond to citizens’ concerns about the mining project.

Environmentalists argue that The project could cause significant damage to ecosystems and pollute waterways. Jadar Valley in western Serbia. Opposition groups generally say it would bring little benefit to Serbian citizens, an allegation vehemently denied by the EU executive.

WWF Adria – the regional branch of the environmental NGOwhich is not directly involved in the protests – told Euronews that it hoped the European Commission would help ensure that Rio Tinto and any mining company operating in the country meet the same strict environmental standards which they would have to comply with in the EU.

“WWF strongly advocates for adhere to the highest standards of environmental protection“We urge Rio Tinto to build on the Responsible Mining Directives and expect the EU institutions to be consistent in their approaches and policies within as well as outside the EU borders,” said spokeswoman Petra Boić Petrač.

Asked if he was worried that The new waves of protests could once again paralyse the lithium extraction project, a spokesman for the European Commission said it “does not comment or interfere in internal affairs at national level”.

The Community Executive declared to ‘Euronews’ that the “socially and environmentally responsible mining“was a “key principle” of their global commodity partnerships, of which the agreement with Serbia was the fourteenth signed in just over three years.

Given that the European energy transition relies on rechargeable batteries in electric cars and the increasing amount of off-grid storage needed for balancing fluctuations in wind and solar powerenvironmentalists and policy makers must weigh up The advantages of leaving fossil fuels underground with the process of extracting lithium and other critical raw materials, which It is energy intensive and potentially destructive..

As a candidate country for EU accession, Serbia is “forced to align its legislation with European regulations, standards and approaches, which are the strictest in the world“, said spokeswoman Johanna Bernsel.

“Our partnership will also give a new impetus to deepen the already high Serbia’s economic integration with the EU before accession and full integration into the Single Market, in line with the ambition of the New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans“Bernsel added, adding that plans to manufacture batteries and cars within Serbia itself represent Some 20,000 potential jobs at stake.

Rio Tinto, which discovered the huge lithium reserves in 2004, is closely following national developments and says that Public discourse on the lithium mine has been tainted by misinformation and, according to a person from the company who spoke to ‘Euronews’ on condition of anonymity.

“We recognize the right of Serbs to protestbut we encourage people concerned about the environmental impact “We encourage project participants to read the draft environmental impact assessment and associated information material that we made available to the public on June 13,” a spokesperson for the mining and metals conglomerate said in an emailed statement.

Although the Serbian government’s turn has been presented as a green light for the mining project to go aheadRio Tinto returns to the position it was in just before the government stop the project in January 2022.

Since you also have to recalculate capital expenditures and readjust timelines as you get things up and running again, which means that It could be years before the first lithium is extracted.

“Although the spatial plan of the Jadar project has been reestablished, the project must go through a prolonged phase of legal proceedingsof environmental impact assessment and permitting, as well as public consultation and business assessments, before the project can go ahead,” Rio Tinto said.