Serbia has reinstated Rio Tinto's license to develop the Jadar project, which would be Europe's biggest lithium mine, after a deal sighed by the country’s authorities and the EU, and a court ruling that overturned the previous decision to revoke the license.
The approval for Jadar was first revoked more than two years ago due to protests by environmental groups, but earlier this month Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU energy chief Maros Sefcovic signed a deal over access to raw materials mined in Serbia. The deal is a clear indication of the readiness by Serbian authorities to continue developing the lithium mine.
That followed a Serbian court ruling that overturned the 2022 government decision to annul Rio Tinto’s license in response to protests from local environmentalists. However, Vucic said in a statement that the final decision on the project is subject to a nationwide referendum to be organized by the end of 2025.
The EU has hailed a pact with Serbia on lithium mining as a “historic day for Serbia, as well as for Europe”. Rio Tinto followed suit, saying that the project will be subject to stringent environmental requirements including an "extended phase" of legal, environmental and permitting procedures and public consultations before it is implemented.
Meanwhile, this Monday thousands of people rallied in the Serbian city of Sabac to protest lithium mining due to possible environmental harm. Last week, protests against the mine took place in several towns across the country. More rallies were expected in the coming days.
Various green groups have previously threatened to block main railroads and junctions in August if the government does not halt the project.
Theodor Lisovoy, Editor in Chief, Rough&Polished
