December 2, 2025
by in News

Rio Tinto halts lithium mining project Jadar in Serbia

Rio Tinto has suspended its lithium mining project Jadar in Serbia, Bloomberg learned from the company’s internal documents.

The suspension of the Jadar project, valued at USD 2.95 billion, is among the first decisions of Rio Tinto’s new CEO Simon Trott.

Bloomberg wrote that it saw an internal company memo revealing that the investment in Serbia would be switched to a care and maintenance regime, making it dormant.

“Given the lack of progress in permitting, we are not in a position to sustain the same level of spend and resource allocation,” the document reads.

According to the same source, Rio Tinto still considers Jadar an important lithium deposit that could play a significant role in Serbia and Europe’s energy transition.

The European Union has designated the project as strategically important. The race for lithium and other rare metals is intensifying due to China’s growing dominance.

Rio Tinto confirmed the contents of the memo.

The company told Blic that it “remains in Serbia” and that the Jadar project is entering a phase involving an assessment of project costs and resources. “Our focus will be to support our employees through the transition process, and to continue fulfilling our legal obligations to the local community as responsible landowners in the Jadar valley,” it added.

New investments and company restructuring

Trott became CEO in August, and the decision to suspend the Jadar project is part of efforts to streamline the business and focus on faster growth opportunities.

He reorganized Rio Tinto by dividing it into segments for iron, aluminum and lithium, and copper.

According to the memo, the company’s current head of lithium Paul Graves will leave the company.

Last year, Rio Tinto acquired Arcadium Lithium for USD 6.7 billion, gaining access to three lithium projects in development. At the same time, it is investing heavily in the Rincon lithium project in Argentina.

Due to oversupply in the lithium market, prices remain around 85% below their 2022 peak, the article adds.

Rio Tinto is the world’s second-largest mining company by market value. The Jadar mining and processing project, based on the mineral jadarite, discovered in 2004 in the Jadar valley in western Serbia, has faced strong opposition from the country’s citizens, environmental activists, and part of the expert community for many years. Balkan Green Energy News has published a chronological overview of the key events in the development of the Jadar project since 2001, when Rio Tinto arrived in Serbia.

Trott is scheduled to deliver his first strategic presentation on the company’s further development and restructuring on December 4 in London, during Rio Tinto’s Capital Markets Day.

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November 17, 2025
by in News

Germany seeks Bolivia’s lithium as project Jadar in Serbia stalls

Germany is rushing to secure the supply of lithium from Bolivia in talks with the new government, but also to enable domestic mining operations. At the same time, Rio Tinto’s controversial project Jadar in Serbia seems dormant despite nominal support from Brussels and Berlin.

In a statement before his arrival in Bolivia, Germany’s Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul didn’t mince words.

“Our potential for cooperation is significant. Bolivia is rich in raw materials, especially lithium, which is indispensable for our energy transition, for electric mobility and for many other sectors in Germany. Bolivia also offers impressive opportunities regarding rare earth elements,” he pointed out.

First in line to speak to Bolivia’s new head of state about lithium

Wadephul noted that he is meeting the Bolivian government under President Rodrigo Paz Pereira on his third day in office “and the first real day of work.” The top German diplomat is inviting the Latin American country to join the upcoming agreement between the European Union and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

The race for lithium and rare earths is intensifying amid China’s dominance and the tariff wars that United States President Donald Trump’s administration is pursuing.

In Wadephul’s view, Bolivians want a way out of the ongoing economic crisis. “President Paz has announced plans to open Bolivia to the world. Bolivia has our full support in this,” he added.

Bolivia holds the world’s largest lithium reserves. Before Paz came to power, left-wing governments limited access to foreign miners for two decades.

Rio Tinto’s investment in Serbia slows down amid political turmoil

Germany has signaled that it would use its raw materials fund for support to domestic lithium mining projects that are under review. Notably, there are also investments in the extraction of the alkali metal from underground and geothermal waters, which means without excavation.

The foreign policy chief is in Bolivia at a time when Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project Jadar in western Serbia seems dormant, despite winning a strategic investment status from the European Union five months ago.

Germany was earlier very interested in the endeavor. Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding in July 2024 between the EU and Serbia for a strategic partnership in sustainable raw materials, battery value chains and electric vehicles,

Serbia expects the environmental impact assessment for project Jadar to be completed in a year and a half

Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia Ana Brnabić recently said the environmental impact assessment for project Jadar would “probably” be completed in 18 months. The next step would be to decide whether to go ahead with it.

Importantly, Serbia is in political turmoil for a whole year now.

Lithium ion batteries are necessary for electric cars, smartphones and laptops, as well as for solar and wind power plants. The demand is steadily growing.

Balkan Green Energy News has published a chronological overview of the key events in the development of the Jadar project since 2001, when Rio Tinto arrived in Serbia.

Rare earths are found in consumer goods such as smartphones and television screens, as well as in electric car engines, semiconductors and turbines.

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August 5, 2025
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Three cities reviving protests against Rio Tinto’s lithium project in Serbia

Opponents of Rio Tinto’s plan to mine and process a lithium and boron ore called jadarite in western Serbia held a protest in Loznica. Representatives of local activist group Ne damo Jadar announced that such gatherings would be organized in the nearby cities of Valjevo and Šabac as well.

Several thousand people demonstrated in the western Serbian city of Loznica against Rio Tinto’s project Jadar, marking what could be the start of another in a string of protests, which began in 2021. Activists from the area said rallies would be held in neighboring cities, too, with a possibility of expansion throughout the country.

Marijana Petković from the Ne damo Jadar group accused the authorities of breaking the law by approving new infrastructure to be built for the planned lithium and boron mining operation and a processing facility. Rio Tinto filed in February for connecting a future 110 kV transformer station to the grid. The activists are also upset because of indications that the company expects to get approval for an exploitation field. It would imply priority in mining the unique lithium and boron ore, called jadarite.

The Lotel television station in Loznica never came to the Gornje Nedeljice village nor has it given the opportunity to the opponents of the Jadar project to speak, said Nebojša Petković from local group Ne damo Jadar

At the protest, the building of local media outlet Lotel was spray-painted and a poster saying “disturbing content” was glued onto it.

“They don’t have any big influence, but they do on a part of the population in Loznica. And they never came to Nedeljice to film what we have, those houses of ours that are whole, nor to film the demolished houses. They never produced a single report. They never gave the opportunity to us or to experts, not a single opponent of the Jadar project, to come to their television studio,” Nebojša Petković from Ne damo Jadar told N1 TV.

The village of Gornje Nedeljice, where the activist group is based, is the site of the proposed mine and processing plant.

Nebojša Petković pointed out that national TV stations of France, Italy and Sweden and other countries and even one from Japan have reported about the Jadar project.

Next protest scheduled for July 24 in Valjevo

The next protest is scheduled for July 24 in Valjevo, and one will probably be held in Šabac, according to Nebojša Petković. He stressed that further activities in the three cities would be coordinated. Exploratory drilling has been conducted around Valjevo and Šabac, too, prompting numerous protests.

Petković jokingly called the three cities the Serbian Bermuda triangle and expressed hope that other areas in Serbia would join the resistance.

The planned investment has been countered by some of the biggest and most widespread protests ever held in the country, in several waves. The European Commission approved a strategic status in early June to the Jadar project.

Balkan Green Energy News has a chronological overview of the key events since 2001.

Nearby lithium project across the river Drina, in BiH, also faces resistance

Notably, in a repeated vote held recently in the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, a civic initiative to declare Majevica a natural park failed to receive sufficient support from lawmakers. The mountain is near Jadar, on the other side of the Drina river, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Republic of Srpska is one of the two political entities making up Serbia’s neigboring country, and the other one is called the Federation of BiH.

Activists are also demanding an urgent moratorium on the approval of concessions for exploration and exploitation of ores and other resources.

Citizens in the area have held multiple rallies against the local lithium mining project, supported by local authorities.

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June 10, 2025
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EU’s strategic status for Rio Tinto’s lithium project risks fueling tensions in Serbia

After the European Commission declared Rio Tinto’s project Jadar a strategic raw materials project, the company and Serbian officials claimed it implies the strictest environmental protection standards and that it would enable the creation of up to 20,000 highly qualified jobs. The opposition and local and environmentalist activists vowed to continue to resist the plan to launch a lithium mine and processing facility, and accused the European Union of colonialism.

The addition of the planned lithium mine near the city of Loznica in Serbia to the EU’s strategic projects for essential raw materials has again stirred up public controversy in the country, after several waves of social unrest. Rio Tinto stressed that it remains committed to dialogue with all stakeholders.

Brnabić: It’s not true that Serbia is a European mining colony

Both the global mining giant and Serbia’s National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić claim that project Jadar would enable the creation of up to 20,000 jobs. The environmental standards for similar projects in the EU will need to be completely replicated, she asserted. It also shows that it’s not true that Serbia is a European mining colony, like what certain people said, Brnabić added.

“We won’t be exporting our lithium, but use it for improving the standard of living,” she stated.

Of note, the European Union only endorsed the mining segment of the project as strategic, while Rio Tinto has also published plans for a processing facility for jadarite, a lithium and boron mineral.

Ecological Uprising’s leader Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta says decision is death sentence

Member of parliament Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta called on citizens, students and environmentalist organizations to an “all-out mobilization” and added that they wouldn’t allow lithium to be mined. He is the most prominent figure in the Ekološki ustanak (Ecological Uprising) movement. “A death sentence has been signed for everything in the Jadar valley that breathes, lives, moves and flows,” and the population in the affected area in western Serbia was “designated the destiny of becoming environmental refugees,” in his opinion.

“Anyone who includes such projects in their agendas, whether it is the European Union or Russia – such people don’t want anything good for us,” Jovanović said.

The opponents of project Jadar are accusing the EU and Serbian authorities of colonialist relations

The Kreni-promeni (Go-Change) movement, which has representatives in local parliaments in the largest cities, recalled that the Government of Serbia abolished the Jadar project in early 2022, following large environmental protests and blockades. “The latest attempts to revive the project were preceded by the controversial ruling of the Constitutional Court, which Kreni-promeni deems synchronized and contrary to the principles of the rule of law and the constitutional separation of powers,” its statement adds.

The country’s parliament never voted on a people’s initiative, signed by over 38,000 citizens, even though it was legally obligated to.

Assigning the strategic status is a new proof of colonial policy toward Serbia, which is supposed to secure raw materials for the stumbling automotive industry in the EU, according to Novi DSS, a right-wing parliamentary opposition party. There can be no jadarite mining, it stressed in its reaction.

Not enough transparency or local population’s participation in decision making

The EU’s strategic projects lack proper safeguards, transparency, and local involvement – putting human rights, indigenous rights, and environmental protection at serious risk, the EU Raw Materials Coalition (EURMC) said in a statement published by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a network of environmentalist groups.

It risks repeating colonial patterns of resource extraction, they warned. Several selected projects from the new list are in countries outside of the EU with weak industrial governance systems, nongovernmental organizations underscored.

Matković: The EU just added fuel to the fire

Endorsing project Jadar despite unresolved legal, environmental, and social issues suggests a troubling disregard for public opposition and due process, EEB said. The move risks reigniting tensions on the ground, it warned.

“The EU just added fuel to fire. It backed an authoritarian regime and a corporation against whom 63% of the population now stand to fight at a time when the entire country is under blockade and violence. The EU will thus lose support in Serbia and the region and probably cause further social unrest. The fact that the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced the board’s decision more than a week before it was public, also raises questions of legitimacy behind the decision,” said Aleksandar Matković, a research associate from the Institute of Economic Sciences in Belgrade, Serbia.

EU fueling euroscepticism

Berlin-based Heinrich Böll Stiftung – Foundation argued that with its new move, the EU ignored the lack of rule of law in Serbia and intense domestic opposition to Rio Tinto’s investment in Serbia.

“Activists and students involved in the pro-democracy movement argue that the EU’s endorsement undermines democratic voices and risks fueling Euroscepticism in the region. With Serbia’s government under pressure from ongoing protests and corruption allegations, the EU’s move is seen as politically damaging and potentially destabilizing,” it said.

The foundation is in close relations with German opposition party Alliance 90/The Greens.

Balkan Green Energy News has published a chronological overview of the key events since 2001, when Rio Tinto arrived in Serbia.

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June 10, 2025
by in News

European Commission declares Jadar project in Serbia one of its strategic projects for critical raw materials

The European Commission published the list of the first 13 strategic projects for raw materials outside of the European Union. One of them is project Jadar in Serbia. It is the only one for lithium and boron. Notably, it got the strategic status only for extraction, even though Rio Tinto said it would also build a processing plant.

After adopting 47 strategic projects in line with the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) in March, today the European Commission added another 13, for locations outside of the EU’s borders. They include Rio Tinto’s controversial project Jadar in Serbia, for lithium and boron. The aim is to diversify the sources of supply and increase economic security, but alongside strengthening value creation in third countries, according to the update.

“Europe needs raw materials to succeed in our industrial and climate ambitions. The EU requires stable, secure and diversified supply chains,” said the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné.

Photo: European Commission

Strategic projects across globe

The first 13 strategic projects outside of the EU are in Canada, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Serbia, Ukraine, Zambia, New Caledonia, Brazil, Madagascar, Malawi, South Africa and the United Kingdom. They require EUR 5.5 billion in total capital investment to start operations, the European Commission said.

Séjourné revealed that investors filed 49 applications.

Project Jadar in western Serbia, near the city of Loznica, is the only one for lithium and boron. Interestingly, the European Commission only endorsed the extraction segment, even though Rio Tinto has said it would build a processing facility as well. According to today’s announcement, the investment aims to contribute to the supply of lithium – battery grade, and boron for metallurgy.

Several waves of mass rallies against project Jadar have been held throughout Serbia

The local population in the Jadar valley, environmentalist organizations and a number of experts have been opposing Rio Tinto for several years now, citing the lack of transparency and the risks for health, nature and agriculture, and especially the potential pollution of water sources. They held several waves of large countrywide protests.

Balkan Green Energy News has published a chronological overview of the key events since 2001, when Rio Tinto arrived in Serbia.

The mining giant is conducting project Jadar through its Serbian subsidiary Rio Sava Exploration.

Most projects are for graphite, cobalt, nickel

Most of the other endeavors entail the extraction and processing of graphite, cobalt and nickel. The remaining ones are for mining tungsten, rare earth elements, manganese and copper. A project conducted both in Greenland and Norway is for the extraction and processing of graphite.

Rare earth elements have a key role in producing high-performance magnets used in wind turbines or electric motors for renewable energy technologies and electromobility. Boron is used in the automotive, renewable energy, aerospace and defence sectors.

Lithium ion batteries are currently the dominant technology in the electricity storage segment, excluding pumped storage hydropower plants. The alkali metal has a range of applications: from consumer electronics and electric vehicles to stationary facilities within renewable power plants or for grid balancing.

The selected projects meet the environmental, social and governance standards stipulated in CRMA, together with technical feasibility, the EU executive said. They are eligible for support by the European Commission, member states and financial institutions, including “contacts with relevant offtakers,” it added.

Kokanović: We continue resistance

Local activist from the Ne damo Jadar group Zlatko Kokanović said the academic community and the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) have clearly rejected Rio Tinto’s lithium project. He also claimed that 63.5% of citizens also oppose it, apparently citing results of a recent survey.

The European Commission’s decision doesn’t guarantee environmental standards, Kokanović told Beta news agency. “It is quite hypocritical from a Europe promoting the rule of law, democracy, freedom of speech, a healthy environment and clean air, water and soil. To the detriment of our health and the health of our children, they want to take our lithium and turn us into a waste dump so that they live healthy,” he stated.

There isn’t any such mining project in a densely populated area and on fertile land anywhere in the world, the activist argued. “It is essentially an experimental facility. They don’t have answers to all questions and their main slogan is: ‘We will try to reduce risks’. We now live without risks, we don’t need to reduce them. If an incident happens, they will say that they are acknowledging the mistake, that they will try not to repeat it, and they will apologize. We don’t have anything from it,” Kokanović underscored.

Separately today, he vowed to continue the resistance with all allowed and forbidden and available means. Kokanović resides in the village of Gornje Nedeljice, the site of the proposed mine.

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April 16, 2025
by in News

EU lawmakers urge for rule of law in Jadar lithium project in Serbia

A group of members of the European Parliament is asking the European Commission to demand from the Government of Serbia to comply with domestic and European law as regards Rio Tinto’s disputed Jadar lithium mining project. They pointed out that arresting and intimidating opponents who criticize the proposed investment is unacceptable. The European lawmakers invited Serbian activists to the European Parliament. Without strict rules, transparency and respect for local communities, things can end badly in mining, the Left’s Jonas Sjöstedt warned.

Rio Tinto is expecting to have its controversial lithium mining project Jadar in Serbia declared strategic by the European Union. Serbia and the European Commission have signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership in sustainable raw materials, battery value chains and electric vehicles. The Anglo-Australian mining giant’s proposed investment was met with years of fierce resistance from the local population and environmentalists.

Now a group of members of the European Parliament is also raising the issue of the persecution of activists, corruption and the risks to water, nature and public health.

Of note, Balkan Green Energy News has published a chronological overview of the key events in the development of the Jadar project since 2001, when the company arrived in Serbia.

The movement includes people from other areas in the country and neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina with sites for the exploration of lithium and various minerals, as well as various mining operations.

Some mining companies leaving their waste behind for others to tackle

Completing their visit to Serbia, three EU lawmakers from the Left claimed that the Government of Serbia has many questions to answer about the Jadar project.

“My experience is that if you don’t put up strict demands on mining companies, if you don’t have transparency, if you don’t have respect for local communities, things can end really badly when it comes to mining,” MEP Jonas Sjöstedt stressed at a press conference.

He added that in northern Sweden, where he is from, some mining companies have extracted minerals for a short while before leaving without cleaning up first.

Sjöstedt: Multinationals take advantage of countries if they can

“That’s why it’s so important, so vital to listen to local communities. To have full respect for those who raise environmental concerns. And to not accept corruption or adapt legislation to the wishes of the multinational companies. Because they take advantage of countries if they have the chance,” Sjöstedt said at the event, organized by the Marš sa Drine activist group.

The environmental concerns in the Jadar area are real, especially about the quality of water for millions of people, in his view. If all the questions are not answered how toxic underground water and waste will be treated, it could be a very risky project, Sjöstedt pointed out.

“I’m also deeply worried about all the things we have heard about corruption. That it is possible for big multinational businesses to get their way with Serbian authorities by giving them economical benefits or making a contract that is not fully publicly available. I think that’s a really bad start of big industrial projects,” he asserted.

The level of intimidation against protesters including arbitrary arrests is unacceptable, according to Sjöstedt. “To be able to organize, to freely express your political will, it’s really the essence of democracy and that is what is at stake. Serbia is at a crossroads for the democratic development of the country,” he underscored.

Jadar is unique in natural harmony

The MEPs from the Left vowed to bring activists from Serbia to the European Parliament. Professor Ljiljana Tomović from the Faculty of Biology in Belgrade said at the event that the Jadar area and the adjacent Rađevina in western Serbia are one of the best examples of harmony between natural and human habitats.

They are unique, not only in Serbia, but in most parts of the Balkans, in her view. Tomović noted that more than 3,100 scientists and professors sent a letter to the European Commission to give up on the project.

All deals must be published

Rio Tinto has a long track record of environmental disasters and human rights violations, said EU lawmaker Per Clausen.

“There are legitimate reasons to meet this project with skepticism. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case in Serbia. Other mining projects, including those financed and operated by Chinese interests, have already led to serious environmental damage and the destruction of nature. Widespread corruption and attacks on democratic rights are part of everyday reality. This is why there is no trust that Serbian authorities will prioritize the needs of local people, the environment or the preservation of nature,” he added.

Voices that should be heard are being silenced, the MEP from Denmark said.

Without democratic control over shared resources, the door opens to corruption and corporate exploitation, MEP Per Clausen warned

“This is not just about biodiversity. It’s about basic survival,” he stressed.

Without democratic control over shared resources, the door opens to corruption and corporate exploitation, Clausen warned.

“We ask the EU Commission to demand that the Serbian government complies with the law in both Serbia and the EU, and give total transparency about all elements of the deal between the EU and Serbia and the deal between the state and the mining company,” he stated.

True democracy means that natural resources belong to the people and are managed correctly for the common good, according to Clausen.

Let’s not replace fossil fuels with another form of environmental destruction

The group met with scientists, locals and representatives of the civil society. “We visited some test drillings and nothing lives around them due to the toxic substances. We cannot achieve the green transition by appeasing our industry and destroying nature and wildlife. In this process, we must not exchange environmental destruction caused by oil and gas for another form of environmental destruction,” said Sebastian Everding.

The German MEP said research should be supported to replace lithium in battery technology “with something that has less impact on the environment and the climate.”

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April 2, 2025
by in News

EU mission in Serbia handed 100,000 signatures against declaring Rio Tinto’s Jadar a strategic project

Informal environmentalist organization Eko Straža has submitted a letter to the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia urging the EU not to grant strategic status to Rio Tinto’s Jadar project in the country. The letter opposing the lithium mining and processing project is backed by the signatures of 100,000 citizens.

Bojan Simišić of Eko Straža said the signatures had been submitted because of the European Commission’s upcoming decision on strategic projects to produce critical raw materials in third countries. The decision is expected to be adopted this week, Fonet reported.

The letter, supported by 100,000 signatures, is the first concrete step by environmental associations and citizens after the announcement that the EU could grant Jadar the status of a strategic project. The site of Rio Tinto’s underground mine and processing unit is near the Western Serbian city of Loznica.

The EU has adopted the first list of strategic projects

On Tuesday, the European Commission approved the first 47 strategic projects, within EU territory, for the production of critically important raw materials. According to the announcement, the decision on the potential selection of proposals for facilities in third countries will be adopted at a later stage.

Under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), such strategic projects are eligible for administrative and financial support.

Shortly after the decision was announced, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that within seven or eight days, the EU would also declare the Jadar lithium project as strategic. He made the claim the same evening in Brussels, where he met with the bloc’s top officials.

Eko Straža: If the EU designates Jadar as strategic, protests will follow

Eko straža stressed that the EU does not have jurisdiction to designate Jadar as a strategic project. The organization also pointed out that Jadar was canceled by the Serbian government’s decision in 2022.

“If the EU puts the Jadar project on its list of strategic projects, we will press ahead with protests. However, we will no longer address the Serbian government, which has resigned, but will instead turn to international institutions,” said Eko Straža.

Balkan Green Energy News has compiled a chronological overview of the most important events concerning Jadar since 2001, when Rio Tinto established a subsidiary in Serbia.

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April 2, 2025
by in News

Serbian organizations, academic community urge EU against declaring lithium project Jadar strategic

The National Convention on the European Union in Serbia has sent a letter to European officials, expressing concern over the potential consequences of designating Rio Tinto’s Jadar lithium project as an EU strategic project. The body warns that such a decision could further erode the support for the country’s European integration. Members of the academic community and numerous citizens also urged the administration in Brussels to reject the company’s application.

The National Convention on the European Union is a platform for cooperation and consultations between civil society and the Government of Serbia in the EU accession negotiation process. It sent the letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, European Commission Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné, and Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič. The convention expresses concern over the possible consequences of including the Jadar lithium project in the EU’s list of strategic projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).

“Given the immense public distrust surrounding the preparation process of the Jadar project, its designation as a project of strategic importance to the European Union, especially in the current geopolitical climate and during Serbia’s institutional and societal crisis, would further undermine citizens’ confidence in the benefits of European integration. Additionally, the long-term geopolitical orientation of Serbia could be affected, potentially jeopardizing the political stability of the Western Balkans,” the letter states.

The convention added that Serbian citizens’ trust in the European Union has been eroded, pointing to the results of a recent public opinion survey. For the first time, more citizens have expressed opposition to EU membership than support for European integration, the body stressed.

EU strategic projects and reactions

The European Commission has approved the first 47 strategic projects in EU territory for important raw materials. The decision for candidate projects in third countries, including Serbia, has been postponed. Under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, such strategic projects are eligible for administrative and financial support.

Shortly after the European Commission’s decision, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated in Brussels that the EU would declare the Jadar project strategic “in seven or eight days.”

Together with nongovernmental organizations and community associations from Romania, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, the Marš sa Drine group from Serbia reacted to the European Commission’s decision, and later also to Vučić’s statement. They said they would legally challenge the strategic status designation for disputed mining projects.

The convention recalled that over 60% of Serbian citizens currently oppose the Jadar project, which includes technology that has never been deployed anywhere in the world.

Citizens’ opposition to the Jadar project should be understood primarily as a reflection of distrust in Serbian institutions

“This opposition primarily reflects a deep mistrust in Serbian institutions and their ability to impartially assess the public interest in such a complex project, as well as to enforce environmental and other regulatory standards should the project proceed,” the document reads.

Transparency in decision making has been lacking, and the reactions of Rio Tinto have been inadequate, it added.

“The local community was not adequately informed about earlier phases of research or the project’s potential consequences. Furthermore, the documents forming the basis of the draft environmental impact assessment study have yet to be made public, further fueling doubts about the objectivity and thoroughness of the decision-making process,” the convention said.

It warned that including projects in Serbia in the list of EU strategic projects, before the rule of law is established and before compliance with European environmental standards is ensured, could be perceived as support for maintaining the current state of affairs.

Letters to the European Commission

Environmentalist organization Eko straža previously submitted a letter to the representatives of the European Union in Belgrade, supported by 100,000 citizens with their signatures. They urged the European Commission to leave Jadar off the list of strategic projects.

In addition to the general public, the academic community has also voiced its opposition and concern. Around 2,800 of its members of Serbia’s academic community signed an initiative to reject the Jadar project.

The academic community and a group of student protesters submitted letters to the EU Delegation in Serbia, addressed to the European Commission, opposing the designation of the Jadar project as strategic.

“The right to clean water, land, nature, and health must take precedence over corporate profit,” the Serbian student blockade organization wrote on its Instagram account.

The Kreni-promeni movement also submitted a petition, signed by more than 300,000 citizens, demanding from the EU to reject the Jadar proposal.

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