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No investment in Serbia’s recent history has sparked as much controversy as Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project Jadar. Since 2001, when the company founded a subsidiary in Serbia, its exploration activities and preparations to open a mine have been marred by several key issues: scanty and non-transparent communication by the company itself, which has evolved from “we don’t communicate” to “we are fighting misinformation” and “we are not giving up on the project”; shifting attitudes of Serbian authorities towards the project; and strong resistance from residents of Jadar Valley and other places across Serbia where the exploration of lithium and other minerals is ongoing or planned, as well as from environmental organizations and citizens who oppose the investment.
The European Union, and Germany in particular, has also shown interest in lithium mining in Serbia, culminating in a memorandum of understanding signed with the government in Belgrade. Europe views the project as part of the solution to secure enough lithium – one of the most sought-after critical raw materials – in order to successfully implement the energy transition and remain competitive with China, even though China is only fourth in the world in terms of lithium reserves and third in terms of production.
The media in Serbia, as well as abroad, have been covering this topic daily. In recent months, we have witnessed a surge in news articles, TV shows, and social media posts addressing the issue. In this overview, we present the key events related to the Jadar project in chronological order, and we will continue to update it – impartially and objectively, so as to help assess the situation accurately and find the best solution in the interest of Serbia and its citizens.
September 10, 2024
Parliamentary opposition unites to demand ban on lithium mining
Part of the opposition in the Serbian parliament introduced a bill to amend the Law on Mining and Geological Research in order to a ban on lithium and boron exploration and extraction. Opposition MPs requested an extraordinary parliament session to debate the proposal. The bill was introduced by a total of 86 MPs from 10 parliamentary groups, including independents. Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić stated that she would put the bill on the agenda in accordance with the legal deadlines.
September 10, 2024
Rio Tinto’s CEO makes six promises to people of Serbia regarding Jadar project
Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm visited western Serbia in a bid to reassure the local population about the safety of the Jadar project. At a public hearing in the town of Ljubovija, attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and a group of government ministers, Stausholm made six commitments, including accountability for the mine’s safety, the project’s transparency, monitoring, and dialogue with the local community. He emphasized that the mine would use water from aquifers, not the river, and that 70% of the water would be recirculated. He pointed out that the company would invest an additional EUR 100 million to dewater the mining waste, claiming there would be no pollution and that farming in the area would remain unaffected.
September 6, 2024
Faculty of Biology issues statement on Jadar project
The Faculty of Biology at the University of Belgrade released its response to what it described as erroneous and tendentious statements concerning draft environmental impact assessment studies for the Jadar project, published by Rio Tinto in mid-June. The faculty stated that it had been hired to produce a report on the project’s impact on biodiversity, stressing that the report was a trade secret and that the proposed protection measures were not sufficient to prevent significant biodiversity degradation. It believes that the optimal solution would be to abandon the project, and that the proposed mitigation measures are limited and short-term. The faculty declines responsibility for conclusions in the draft studies that are not in compliance with local legislation.
September 1, 2024
Divisions deepen in Serbia over lithium mining plans
Environmentalist group Eko straža held a protest outside the building of Serbia’s public broadcaster, RTS, to draw attention to the arrest and criminal prosecution of dozens of activists campaigning for a ban on the exploration and mining of lithium and boron. For its part, the Ministry of Mining and Energy announced that it had received an anonymous threat concerning Rio Tinto’s Jadar project.
August 30, 2024
France and Serbia agree to cooperate on exploration and mining of critical raw materials
Serbia and France signed statements of intent on partnership and cooperation in the exploration and mining of critical and strategic mineral resources. The documents were signed by Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović and France’s interministerial delegate on strategic minerals and metals, Benjamin Gallezot.
August 29, 2024
Anti-lithium activists ask Macron for help, Élysée says decision on mining lies with Serbia
Serbian environmentalist coalition SEOS has sent a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, seeking his support to block the planned lithium mining project. However, the Élysée Palace responded that the matter is in Serbia’s hands.
August 28, 2024
Movement supporting Jadar project founded in Serbia
An anonymous group of citizens founded a movement called Kopaćemo (literally, ‘we will dig’), which is not registered with the Business Registers Agency. The movement’s website states that it was created in “response to the rising tide of disinformation and manipulation that threatens to halt the Jadar project.”
The movement published a list of names, calling it the registry of eco-terrorists. The list contains 21 individuals, including representatives of the local community, environmental activists, and public figures who declare themselves opponents of the mining project. Filmmaker Stevan Filipović and Eko straža activist Bojan Simišić, who are both on the list, have filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor’s office in Belgrade against the anonymous individual who compiled the list.
In a statement on September 7, Rio Tinto denied any affiliation with the movement.
August 13, 2024
German official says question is not whether lithium will be mined in Serbia but who will do it
Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, said in an interview with Tageszeitung that the question is not whether lithium in Serbia will be mined or not, but whether it will be done by Rio Tinto and European partners or by China.
August 10, 2024
Tens of thousands rally in Belgrade against lithium mining
Apart from Belgraders, the rally brought together citizens from a number of Serbian cities and towns where protests against opening new mines had been held almost daily throughout the summer. The day of the rally marked the expiration of a 40-day deadline, set by anti-lithium activist groups Ne damo Jadar and SEOS, for the authorities to ban lithium and boron exploration and mining across Serbia.
At the rally, actresses Jelena Stupljanin and Svetlana Bojković stressed that Jadar was not for sale and that citizens were prepared to defend both nature and their health. Ljiljana Bralović from SEOS and Dragana Đorđević, a scientific advisor at Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, who also spoke at the protest, warned of the long-term impacts of mining on the environment and health.
Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić and Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović dismissed the activists’ claims as misinformation, asserting that the Jadar project would bring significant economic benefits and promising the highest standards of environmental protection.
July 31, 2024
Geology and mining experts: technological progress not possible without mining and critical minerals
Without mining and critical mineral raw materials, technological development and progress, as well as the transition to renewable energy sources for energy production, environmental protection, and climate change mitigation, are not possible, according to a joint statement from mining and geology experts of the Faculty of Mining and Geology in Belgrade, the Geological Institute of Serbia, the Chamber of Mining and Geology Engineers of Serbia, the Association of Mining and Geology Engineers of Serbia, the Technical Faculty in Bor, and the Mining Institute from Belgrade.
July 26, 2024
Serbian scientists find environmental damage far exceeds benefits of lithium mining
A group of scientists and professors from the University of Belgrade, led by Dragana Đorđević, published a paper titled ‘The influence of exploration activities of a potential lithium mine to the environment in Western Serbia.’ The paper, published in the scientific journal Nature – Scientific Reports, concludes that the extraction and processing of lithium in the Jadar river valley, planned by Rio Tinto, could significantly harm the environment, with a devastating impact on groundwater and soil, leading to loss of biodiversity and the accumulation of large amounts of hazardous waste.
In response, employees at Rio Tinto sent a letter to the journal to request a correction or retraction of the paper. According to the company, Đorđević and others “present a number of incorrect, inaccurate or incomplete facts or data, use references in a way that can be misleading as it misrepresents the content of these papers and have presented conclusions without the rigorous application of accepted scientific methods to arrive at such conclusions.”
July 23 – August 10, 2024
Protests against lithium mining held across Serbia
Following the June 28 rally in Loznica and the demand for the Government of Serbia to accept the request to ban lithium and boron mining by August 10, further protests were organized in over 50 cities and towns across the country.
The first one was held on July 22 in Valjevo, then again in Loznica, as well as Grocka and Koceljeva, on July 25. They were followed by rallies in Negotin (July 26), Arilje (June 27), Bogatić and Krupanj (July 28), Šabac, Arandjelovac, Kraljevo, Barajevo, and Ljig (July 29), Mladenovac and Kosjerić (July 30), Požega (July 31), Mionica and Raška (August 1), Topola, Ub, Pančevo (August 2), Paraćin (August 3), Osečina (August 4), Rača, Bresnica, Smederevo, Bor, Rekovac (August 5), Jagodina, Sremska Mitrovica, Knić, Lazarevac, Inđija (August 6), Kragujevac, Novi Sad, Užice, Bajina Bašta, Obrenovac (August 7), Gornji Milanovac, Subotica, Smederevska Palanka, Kruševac, Zaječar (August 8), Niš, Čačak, Vranje, Lazarevac, Gornja Dobrinja (August 9), and Bela Crkva and Belgrade (August 10).
September 20, 2024
Serbia, EU sign memorandum backing Rio Tinto’s lithium project
Just days after the government unblocked the Jadar project, Serbia and the European Union (EU) signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership in sustainable raw materials, battery value chains, and electric vehicles. The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the Summit on Critical Raw Materials in Belgrade by Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović and Vice President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maroš Šefčovič. The document was signed in the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Meanwhile, citizens and representatives of non-governmental organizations and political parties gathered near the Palace of Serbia, where the memorandum was being signed. The police prevented them from coming closer to the building.
July 16, 2024
Serbian government issues decree to unblock Jadar project
On July 16, the Government of Serbia adopted a decree on the implementation of the decree on the spatial plan of the special purpose area for the exploitation and processing of the jadarite mineral, reinstating the status of the Jadar project to what it was before the adoption of a decree that had halted it.
Rio Tinto welcomed the government’s decision. In a statement, the company said that the Jadar project “will be subject to stringent environmental requirements in compliance with Serbia and EU regulations, including having to progress through an extended phase of legal, EIA and permitting procedures, as well as public consultation, before a final investment decision is made on constructing the project.”
July 11, 2024
Constitutional Court of Serbia rules in favor of Rio Tinto
While the Constitutional Court was deliberating the constitutionality of the 2022 government decree that annulled the spatial plan for Rio Tinto’s Jadar project, disgruntled citizens blocked traffic in one of the main streets in central Belgrade and chained the entrance to the court.
However, the judges determined that the government had overstepped its authority, and that the manner in which the 2022 decree was adopted did not comply with the constitution or the laws on the government and environmental impact assessment.
July 8, 2024
Local activists criminally charged over opposing Rio Tinto’s lithium project
At a protest in the western city of Loznica against Rio Tinto’s project to build a mine and an ore processing plant, the police arrested and criminally charged seven people. They had blocked the railroad ahead of the Constitutional Court’s session, fearing it would reinstate the spatial plan for the Jadar project, which the government abolished in 2022, halting the investment.
June 29, 2024
Loznica countdown: government given 40 days to ban lithium exploration and mining across Serbia
The movement against Rio Tinto’s project to mine and process jadarite near Loznica in western Serbia urged the government to ban the exploration and mining of lithium and boron, threatening to escalate the resistance, starting with railway blockades.
On July 1, activists submitted a written demand to the government to pass a law banning lithium and boron exploration and mining across the entire country, according to the movement’s representative. The activists also said that if the demand wasn’t met within 40 days, the movement would launch blockades.
June 17, 2024
Vučić says Rio Tinto can resume lithium project with EU guarantees
In an interview with the Financial Times on June 15, President Aleksandar Vučić said that Serbia was ready to endorse Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project once again, with new guarantees from the company and the expected support of the EU.
Although the government had previously halted the project due to environmental protests, Vučić told the British newspaper that the mine could be opened in 2028, enabling Serbia to cover 17% of European electric vehicle output. The article noted that Serbia’s re-approval of Rio Tinto’s project under the EU’s blessing would signify the country’s commitment to the West’s geopolitical stance.
Reacting to the president’s statements, environmental activists vowed to keep resisting Rio Tinto’s planned investment. They said they would not allow the corporate occupation of fertile land, insisting that Vučić did not have the legal authority to approve the project.
June 13, 2024
Rio Tinto releases draft environmental impact assessments for Jadar project
Rio Tinto released preliminary drafts of environmental impact assessment studies for the Jadar project. The company said the aim was to enable the public to evaluate the potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures, but noted that the study was not part of the formal approval procedure. The company stressed that mining projects are prohibited from commencing any work until they receive formal environmental impact assessment approval from responsible government institutions. This requires public consultation and reviews by independent experts, it added.
June 12, 2024
Prime Minister Vučević: Serbia should discuss all development projects, including lithium
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević commented on lithium mining in Serbia for the first time since taking office. Serbia, as he said, should talk about all development projects, including lithium, and then hear what experts have to say and protect, above all, people and the environment.
April 18 2024
TV debate on Jadar project: Serbia shouldn’t sacrifice itself for Europe’s benefit vs. misinformation is being used to spread fear
Serbia’s public broadcaster, RTS, hosted a debate between supporters and opponents of the Jadar project. Critics of the project, represented by Professor Ratko Ristić from the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade and Dušan Vasiljević, an environmental protection consultant, believe that Serbia has better development opportunities than mining, which, in their view, is suited for underdeveloped countries. Moreover, according to Professor Ristić, mining poses fatal risks for people, plants, animals, and the environment. Ristić added that Serbia should not sacrifice itself to help Europe eliminate its dependence on China.
Marijanti Babić, Country Head for Serbia at Rio Tinto, and Professor Aleksandar Jovović from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade represented those advocating for the project, which would secure a highly sought-after raw material in the energy transition at the moment. They argued that misinformation, and information taken out of context, was being used to spread fear among citizens. They also claimed that measures were envisaged to minimize the risks and the project’s impact on the environment, keeping them below the legally allowed limits.
January 17, 2024
Vučić asks Rio Tinto to improve lithium mining project
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić spoke with Rio Tinto officials during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Following the meeting, he said that Serbia was facing the question of whether the company would sue or not. “We had a difficult conversation, and I said they needed to offer the cleanest solution, one that would be satisfactory for our people. The highest standards in the world for the nature and the people who would work there,” Vučić stated.
November 13, 2023
Rio Tinto files nine lawsuits against Serbia
In November 2023, it was revealed that Rio Tinto’s Serbian subsidiary, Rio Sava Exploration, had filed nine lawsuits against the country’s government in connection with the cancellation of its Jadar project. Four of the cases, filed with the Administrative Court, were against the Government of Serbia, two were against the Ministry of Agriculture, and three were against the Ministry of Finance.
November 7, 2023
Citizens, environmental activists disrupt mineral resources conference in Belgrade
Representatives of environmental organizations and local communities from areas in Serbia where geological research or mining is underway disrupted the International Conference on Mineral Resources in the Republic of Serbia. The conference, organized by TGI Group International at the Metropol Hotel in Belgrade, brought together foreign mining companies and representatives of their respective countries’ embassies. Citizens and activists accused the Government of Serbia, which provided institutional support to the event, of betraying the interests of its own people for the benefit of multinational companies.
October 27, 2023
News leaked of Serbia signing lithium mining agreement with EU
Serbia and the European Commission signed a letter of intent on September 22, 2023 to initiate a strategic partnership on batteries and critical raw materials, including lithium. Following allegations by the Ecological Uprising organization that Rio Tinto was also a party to the signing, the company issued a statement denying that it was a signatory of the document.
August 4, 2023
Babić: Rio Tinto honors government’s decisions, continues to operate in line with previously assumed obligations
Marijanti Babić, Rio Tinto’s Country Head for Serbia, said in an interview with Loznički nedeljnik that the company respected the Serbian government’s decision to halt the implementation of the Jadar project but was continuing to work on completing the internal feasibility study.
April 7, 2023
Half a million Europeans sign petitions against lithium mine in Serbia
Environmental activists from Madagascar, Arizona, Serbia, and Britain protested in London against the Jadar project and Rio Tinto. The protest took place outside the building where the mining company’s shareholders were holding an annual meeting. The activists submitted 500,000 signatures against lithium mines in Serbia, collected through petitions in Serbia and across Europe.
December 13, 2022
Handelsblatt: Germany backs lithium mining in Serbia to curb China’s global influence
Lithium mining in Serbia is becoming part of a broader European geopolitical strategy, according to a confidential document compiled by the German government and published by Handelsblatt. The lithium project in the Jadar Valley is supported under the Global Gateway initiative, which aims to reduce the EU’s dependence on China, a dominant producer of lithium and rare-earth metals.
November 27, 2022
Anti-lithium activists block traffic, camp outside main government building
A group of environmental activists, led by the SEOS alliance, blocked the intersection in front of the main government building in Belgrade. They demanded the resignations of President Aleksandar Vučić and the entire government, the dissolution of parliament, and the “liberation” of Serbia’s public broadcaster.
November 16, 2022
Rio Tinto’s partner InoBat plans battery gigafactory in Serbia
In November 2022, Slovakia-based startup InoBat signed preliminary agreements with the Government of Serbia on the construction of a gigafactory that would manufacture and recycle batteries. The firm counts Rio Tinto among its investors. In September 2023, InoBat selected the city of Ćuprija as the location for its planned gigafactory, noting that the government was prepared to offer an incentive package of EUR 419 million for the project.
October 12, 2022
Belgrade University professors in TV debate on Jadar project
The advantages and disadvantages of potential jadarite mining and processing were presented on the Takovska 10 talk show by Dinko Knežević, a professor at the Faculty of Mining and Geology in Belgrade, Aleksandar Jovović, a professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, Dragana Đorđević, a scientific advisor from the Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, and Ratko Ristić, vice-rector for international cooperation at the University of Belgrade and a professor at the Faculty of Forestry. “Jadarite is a unique mineral, but it is the worst kind, which contains both lithium and boron. In order to extract lithium and boron, you need, according to Rio Tinto’s study, 1,100 tons of concentrated sulfuric acid per day, and several dozen tons of explosives for underground exploitation,” according to Ristić.
September 14, 2022
SEOS demands suspension of geological exploration and review of miners’ licenses
The Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS) urged the Ministry of Mining and Energy to meet its demands by November 1 and suspend and review all licenses issued to Rio Tinto and other mining companies.
Zlatko Kokanović from the Ne damo Jadar association noted that 27 plots had been registered in the name of Rio Tinto’s subsidiary, Rio Sava Exploration, from January 20 to September 1. He asked what this development meant, given that Rio Tinto’s project had been halted.
August 16, 2022
Minister Mihajlović: lithium mine in Serbia would be digitalized, with no liquid waste
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlović said that a mine, a battery plant, and an electric car factory would boost Serbia’s GDP by more than 25%.
Although she didn’t mention Jadar specifically, the project was the only one in the country that had reached the planning phase for opening a mine to extract lithium – a mineral critical for battery production – and building a processing plant.
Mihajlović also said that the lithium mine in Jadar would be completely digitalized and without liquid waste.
August 16, 2022
Vučić: We made a big mistake
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that his biggest mistake was allowing the Jadar project to be halted. “We made a big mistake. We are the only nation that gave up its oil, the only one that foreign services forced, with lies in the media, to give up its wealth […] foreign services managed to ruin something that could have been a quantum leap for Serbia. They fought amongst themselves about whether it would be Rio Tinto or some other company. That’s because our lithium is of the highest quality,” he stressed. Vučić said that “the next government should be asked whether the decision to ban lithium mining is final.”
August 10, 2022
Activists claim Jadar project not abandoned
The Association of Environmental Organizations in Serbia (SEOS) claimed that Rio Tinto was going ahead with its operations in Serbia despite the official cancellation of its Jadar project. Rio Tinto confirmed that it was still working with US company Bechtel on an internal feasibility study for the project, including gathering data and completing technical and environmental assessments as a ”continuation of previous commitments.”
SEOS said that Rio Tinto was putting pressure on the project’s opponents and that its subsidiary, Rio Sava Exploration, had acquired additional plots of land in the area of the planned mine. For their part, the SEOS member organizations were preparing to file an appeal with the Constitutional Court over the parliament’s failure to verify signatures collected for their initiative to ban lithium and boron exploration.
August 1, 2022
New parliament given 7-day deadline to verify signatures against lithium mining
On March 10, activist group Kreni-promeni and the Association of Environmental Organizations in Serbia (SEOS) started collecting signatures for an initiative to ban lithium and boron mining in Serbia. On June 18, the initiative was submitted to the parliament, after being signed by 38,191 citizens. Under the Law on the Referendum and the People’s Initiative, which the activists referred to, the parliament had 30 days to respond by verifying the collected signatures. Given that the parliament failed to respond within the stipulated timeframe, it violated the law and the constitution, claimed Savo Manojlović from Kreni-Promeni. On August 1, the activists set a seven-day deadline for the parliament to respond to the initiative, threatening to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court of Serbia.
July 9, 2022
Jadar Declaration unites activists in global resistance to lithium mining
Nine organizations from Portugal, Germany, Serbia, Chile, and Spain signed the Jadar Declaration. The document, according to the signatories, provides a basis for mutual support, cooperation, information exchange, and help in the struggle against the expansion of lithium ore mining and other kinds of extractivism brought about by an unjust, profit-driven energy transition.
May 6, 2022
Rio Tinto seeks to reopen talks with Serbia on Jadar lithium project
At a shareholder meeting in Australia, Rio Tinto Chair Simon Thompson said that the company hoped to be able to discuss all options with Serbia’s incoming government. The election in Serbia was held on April 3, and a new cabinet was not formed until October 26. At the same meeting, Thompson stepped down due to public outrage over Rio Tinto’s destruction of a 46,000-year-old cave in Australia, a sacred site for the local Aboriginal community.
On May 24, 2020, the company detonated the site, which contained traces of human habitation dating back to the Ice Age, in order to expand its Brockman 4 iron ore mine in the Juukan Gorge.
March 18, 2022
Nature conservation must come before profit – panel
At a panel organized by the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, participants agreed that nature conservation must come before profit.
Speakers at the panel, titled ‘From Pollution to Destruction: Man, Nature and Responsibility,’ included Serbian Orthodox bishop Grigorije, head of the Eparchy of Düsseldorf and all of Germany, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) Board Chairman Vladimir Stevanović, university professors Ratko Ristić, Ognjen Radonjić, and Nenad Makuljević, musician and sustainable development advocate Rambo Amadeus, TV journalist and author Jovan Memedović, known for his popular show on the relationship between man and nature, and journalist Milan Ćulibrk.
Panelists noted that humanity cannot survive without plants and animals and agreed that prioritizing profit over nature threatens to destroy the conditions for life on the planet. Bishop Grigorije explained why the case of Gornje Nedeljice, the site of Rio Tinto’s planned lithium mine, is a turning point, while Academician Stevanović, a biologist, talked about why photosynthesis is more crucial than profit.
Ristić, a vice-rector of the University of Belgrade, said that the fight against Rio Tinto is essentially a rebellion of the natives, while economics professor Ognjen Radonjić explained the shortcomings of economic science in understanding nature.
March 8, 2022
Exploratory drilling ‘poisoned Jadar River with boron, arsenic and lithium’; Rio Tinto denies
A research by Dragana Đorđević, Sanja Sakan, and Jovan Tadić found that the concentration of toxic and carcinogenic metals boron, arsenic, and lithium in the Jadar River had increased 3 to 17 times downstream from the site of Rio Tinto’s exploratory drilling. A few days later, Rio Tinto denied the findings.
March 1, 2022
Rio Tinto ‘exploring all options’ after Serbia canceled its lithium project
In its 2021 annual report, Rio Tinto said that it was disappointed by the Serbian government’s decision to scrap the spatial plan for its Jadar project. The company added that it would continue exploring all options and that it was reviewing the legal basis of the government’s decision.
February 2, 2022
Environmental organizations agree to push for ban on lithium and boron exploration and mining across Serbia
The Alliance of Environmental Organizations in Serbia (SEOS), activist group Kreni-promeni, as well as other organizations throughout the country, reached an agreement to stand behind one shared demand: a ban on the exploration and mining of lithium and boron within the territory of Serbia.
January 20, 2022
Serbia scraps spatial plan for Rio Tinto’s lithium project, all permits
The Government of Serbia annulled its decree on the spatial plan for Rio Tinto’s lithium mine and processing plant. Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that the government had now met all the demands of environmentalist organizations. She also said that “Rio Tinto absolutely hasn’t provided enough information” to either the authorities or the local population and that the government had scrapped all related decisions and permits.
January 13, 2022
Bojana Novaković disputes Rio Tinto’s claim of putting activities in Serbia on hold
Bojana Novaković, the coordinator of environmental activist network Marš sa Drine, disputed Rio Tinto’s claim that it had put on hold its operations in Serbia due to a negative campaign. In an op-ed, Novaković stressed that the situation on the ground painted a different picture, despite the company’s claims.
Activists and local residents, including Marijana Trbović Petković from the Ne damo Jadar movement, testified to the continued pressure on landowners to sell their properties. They accused the company and the government of manipulation and disregard for legal procedures, as the local community prepared to continue the fight against the Jadar project.
January 11, 2022
Economist Nebojša Katić: Rio Tinto, not Serbia, would reap economic benefits from lithium
In an op-ed for public broadcaster RTS, independent business consultant and economist Nebojša Katić criticized the reliance on environmental arguments alone in the debate around lithium mining. He argued that even if lithium mining were proven harmless to the environment, the economic gains would still primarily go to Rio Tinto, while Serbia would see minimal benefits.
January 3-8, 2022
Citizens threaten roadblocks until Rio Tinto leaves Serbia
On January 8, Serbian citizens blocked roads for the fifth time in less than a week, demanding that the government scrap the decree on the spatial plan for Rio Tinto’s Jadar project and break off agreements with all other companies seeking to mine lithium in Serbia. Ahead of the protest, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić stated that the government was close to a decision to “annul everything about Rio Tinto” and “all permits.”
December 16, 2021
Scrapping Loznica’s spatial plan – small step in right direction, but not enough to prevent mine opening
At an emergency session, the Loznica city assembly abolished its spatial plan that had envisaged the construction of a lithium mine. The document, adopted in July 2021, caused great discontent among citizens and environmental activists. In early November, local anti-lithium association Ne damo Jadar submitted an initiative to the Loznica assembly to remove the spatial plan of the special purpose area for the Jadar project from the city’s spatial plan. The initiative was signed by some 5,400 local residents, and the deadline to decide on it was 60 days.
The day before the assembly session, when it was already clear that the spatial plan would be scrapped, Rio Tinto announced that it would continue to implement the project within the legal framework and to provide the public with information on all aspects of the project for which it was responsible.
November 27 – December 11, 2021
Angry protesters block roads across Serbia over “lithium laws”
Following months of protests against new expropriation and referendum bills, which would have allowed the state to carry out expropriation with little oversight and hold referendums to obtain citizens’ consent for its decisions – including the potential opening of Rio Tinto’s jadarite mine – environmental activists and citizens blocked roads throughout Serbia on November 27. This was the first in a series of such blockades.
After the second blockade, on December 4, 2021, the bills were withdrawn. Even so, roads in Serbia were blocked for a third time on December 11. Citizens continued the blockades because they believed that despite the withdrawal of the bills, there was still a possibility of opening lithium mines, not only by Rio Tinto, but also other companies.
November 9, 2021
Academy of Engineering Sciences of Serbia warn of lasting environmental impact of Jadar project
The Academy of Engineering Sciences of Serbia (AINS) expressed concern over Rio Tinto’s Jadar project, which had received support of the Government of Serbia without independent analyses. AINS was worried about the project’s potentially serious adverse impacts on the environment, such as groundwater pollution, land degradation, and flood risk.
AINS pointed out that the lack of independent studies and unbiased assessments could threaten the development of green farming in the area. While Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlović denied allegations of the presence of radioactive elements, AINS warned of the overlooked risks of natural radiation and long-term damage.
September 14, 2021
Merkel: Germany interested in Serbia’s lithium
Shortly before leaving office as German Chancellor, Angela Merkel visited Serbia, where she announced Germany’s interest in Serbian lithium and stated that European Union member states would address the issue of its exploitation.
September 11 – November 25, 2021
Protests against lithium mine
The first in a series of protests against Rio Tinto was held in Belgrade on September 11, 2021. Thousands gathered to voice their concerns about the announced construction of a jadarite mine near Loznica in western Serbia and the threat to the environment and health.
The protests soon spread across Serbia. Residents of the municipality of Rekovac and several villages near Požega blocked exploration works by companies searching for lithium and boron.
In early November, environmentalist group Ekološki ustanak (Ecological Uprising) organized a protest in front of public broadcaster RTS, demanding that it stop airing Rio Tinto’s commercials. At the same time, the Marš s Kolubare movement in Lukavac near Valjevo urged the authorities to prevent further lithium research in that area. These were followed by a protest outside the parliament building in Belgrade on November 23, where citizens expressed their opposition to the expropriation and referendum bills.
Experts warned that the two bills, if passed, would make it easier for the authorities to approve Rio Tinto’s project to mine and process lithium ore at Jadar, as well as other projects declared to be in the public interest.
July 29, 2021
Loznica adopts spatial plan for Rio Tinto despite protests
The Loznica assembly adopted a spatial plan of the city that included the spatial plan of the special purpose area for the Jadar project. As councilors were approving the document, citizens gathered in front of the assembly building to express their dissatisfaction.
June 8, 2021
Jadar 2 – Serbia’s ambassador to EU meets Rio Tinto official in Brussels
On June 8, Serbia’s ambassador to the EU, Ana Hrustanović, met in Brussels with Lawrence Dechambenoit, Rio Tinto’s global head of external affairs, BIRN learned. According to a document sent to Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the meeting, which was seen by BIRN, Dechambenoit informed the Serbian diplomat that Rio Tinto was “considering the possibility of faster implementation of the ongoing project” and its potential extension to “Jadar 2.”
June 7, 2021
Rio Tinto buying land without investment decision
Local residents voiced concerns about the lack of transparency in the sale of properties to Rio Tinto, a process that had begun even though the company had not yet made an official investment decision. According to activist Marija Alimpić, the company had purchased properties from 36 families and had been telling others that the state would expropriate their land.
Faced with public outrage, President Aleksandar Vučić said a referendum would be held, if necessary, on whether to allow lithium mining, as planned by Rio Tinto. The referendum would be held “at the municipal or district level” to determine the will of the people, according to him.
June 1, 2021
Vučić meets Rio Tinto delegation in Belgrade
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić met in Belgrade with a Rio Tinto delegation, headed by the company’s chair, Jakob Stausholm. The talks covered ongoing and potential projects, as well as possibilities for broader cooperation, which would not be limited to ore exploration and mining but would also pertain to the overall economic development of the Mačva district and Serbia as a whole, according to a press release from the Serbian presidency.
May 6-7, 2021
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts holds panel on Jadar poject
The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) hosted a panel to discuss the Jadar project from the scientific and expert perspective, aiming to assess its advantages and disadvantages, and anticipate problems that might arise from its potential implementation. In addition to scientists and academicians, the gathering was attended by Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlović, Rio Sava Exploration General Manager Vesna Prodanović, and representatives of civil society organizations.
After the event, SANU members sent a letter and a document to Zorana Mihajlović explaining why a lithium mine would not be good for Serbia.
April 4-10, 2021
Activists declare ‘ecological uprising’
Rio Tinto announced it would start building a mine in 2022, causing great discontent among the local population. Residents of the Jadar Valley and representatives of environmental organizations organized a protest on April 9 in front of the Rio Tinto headquarters in Belgrade.
The following day, thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Government of Serbia, demanding that the state protect the environment, as well as public health. At the rally, activists declared an ‘ecological uprising.’
December 22, 2020
Legitimacy of Jadar project spatial plan put in question
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić stated that the spatial plan of a special purpose area for Rio Tinto’s project was adopted following public consultation and an environmental impact assessment report. She asserted that the project was of great importance for Serbia and that it would be implemented according to the highest standards.
However, local residents expressed discontent and demanded answers regarding the technology, environmental impact, and the repurposing of land from agricultural to construction use.
Activist Marija Alimpić said she considered the spatial plan illegitimate because the preliminary design of the mine had not been completed. She pointed out that the public consultation was not adequately organized, as the majority of the population had not been informed and the discussion was held during holidays. She also highlighted conflicting information regarding the operating life of the mine: the spatial plan stated the mine would be open for 30 years, while Vesna Prodanović, the general manager of Rio Tinto’s Serbian subsidiary Rio Sava Exploration, said that its operating life would be 50 years.
December 9, 2020
Dragana Đorđević: jadarite mine would bring more harm than good to Serbia
After citizens of the Loznica area expressed their discontent with plans to build a lithium mine, experts also spoke up. Dragana Đorđević, a scientific advisor at the Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (IHTM) of the University of Belgrade, pointed out that the environmental risks – such as the release of aggressive acids into the atmosphere, water pollution, and the destruction of agriculture – far exceeded the potential economic benefits.
November 5, 2020
Voices of discontent over Rio Tinto’s jadarite mine plans grow louder
Concerned by insufficient information about the lithium mining project from both Rio Tinto and the state, as well as the possible negative impact of jadarite mining on health and the environment, residents of the Jadar Valley organized a protest rally in the village of Brezjak. The first anti-lithium associations had also been founded: Zaštitimo Jadar i Rađevinu, Ne damo Jadar, and Marš sa Drine.
November 19, 2020
Government sets up new working group for Jadar project implementation
On November 19, 2020, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić signed the decision on establishing the second working group for the implementation of the Jadar project. The group’s task, according to the decision, is to “consider the most complex issues in the implementation of the Jadar project and provide proposals, opinions, and expert explanations regarding cooperation, analysis of the implementation of the project, and coordination of the work of competent authorities and institutions with the aim of ensuring a full and timely implementation of operational issues.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlović was appointed as the head of the working group, and Jovanka Atanacković, State Secretary in the Ministry of Mining and Energy, as her deputy.
The body had nearly 30 members, including Ivica Kojić, the chief of staff to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and Danilo Cicmil, the president’s special adviser. According to the decision, Michael Shiraev, Second Secretary at the Australian Embassy in Serbia, and Stephen Ndegwa, World Bank Country Manager for Serbia, were also authorized to participate in its work.
A number of assistants in the ministries, agencies, and administrations responsible for these issues were also appointed as members of the group, along with representatives of local governments and public enterprises such as Srbijagas, Putevi Srbije, EPS, Srbijavode, Srbijašume, Železnice Srbije, and others.
The first meeting was held on December 8, 2020, and Mihajlović said the new working group would be “much more active and efficient than the previous one, which was formed about three years ago.”
February 20, 2020
Government adopts spatial plan of special purpose area for Jadar project
The government adopted the Decree on the spatial plan of the special purpose area for the implementation of the Jadarite mineral exploitation and processing project on February 20, 2020. Its purpose was to serve as a basis for opening a mine.
April 14, 2018
Prime Minister Ana Brnabić meets Rio Tinto officials in London
During a visit to the United Kingdom in April 2018, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić met with representatives of Rio Tinto to discuss the possibilities of investing in Serbia and various aspects of developing the Jadar project, RTS reported. She stated that the two sides agreed to work together through a joint working group.
Serbia’s Ministry of Mining and Energy announced that the first meeting of the joint working group for the implementation of the Jadar project had been held and that the body would coordinate the work of all competent authorities, institutions, and other entities involved in the undertaking. Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antić, who chaired the working group, pointed out that the body’s task was to enable the most efficient implementation of activities in the process of opening mines and starting the exploitation of lithium and borate. He assessed that this would have a major impact on the development of Serbia. The meeting was attended by the mayor of Loznica, Vidoje Petrović, and the general manager of Rio Sava Exploration, Richard Storey.
October 10, 2017
Serbia forms working group for Jadar project implementation
The government’s decision on establishing a working group for the implementation of the Jadar project was published on October 10, 2017 in the Official Gazette 91/2017.
July 24, 2017
Serbian government signs memorandum of understanding with Rio Tinto
In July 2017, Serbia signed a memorandum of understanding with Rio Tinto. The memorandum was signed in the main government building by Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antić, Rio Tinto’s managing director of uranium and borates, Simon Trott, and Rio Sava Exploration General Manager Richard Storey.
The signing was attended by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić. “The memorandum will enable the formation of joint working groups between the government and the company, in order to facilitate more efficient development of the Jadar project through the study phase and the permitting process, in accordance with the law,” she said.
According to Serbian daily newspaper Nova, which obtained the document in 2021, the memorandum states that the Jadar project was classified as a priority geological research project in the national strategy for the sustainable use of natural resources and commodities.
June 8, 2004
Rio Tinto receives first approval for geological research from Ministry of Mining and Energy
The first decision by the Ministry of Mining and Energy was issued to Rio Sava Exploration on June 8, 2004 (Official Gazette RS 44/95), permitting the company to conduct geological research of evaporites in the Jadar Neogene basin near the western city of Loznica, specifically the exploration area number 1561.
By 2020, ten additional decisions were issued to continue the geological research. In February 2020, the ministry issued a decision on the retention of rights in the exploration area (Official Gazette RS 101/15).
2004
New mineral, jadarite, discovered in Jadar River Valley
While exploring the area of Western Serbia in 2004, Rio Tinto discovered a new mineral, jadarite. This lithium-sodium borosilicate – LiNaSiB3O7(OH) – contains lithium and boron as useful components. The International Mineralogical Association (IMA) officially recognized it in November 2006. The company estimated the deposit at over 158 million tons, and Serbia is currently the only country where jadarite has been discovered.
2001
Rio Tinto opens subsidiary in Serbia
Mining corporation Rio Tinto founded a subsidiary in Serbia, named Rio Sava Exploration d.o.o. The subsidiary is registered for conducting geological and mining activities.
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