EC spokeswoman on the Jadar project: If the conditions required by the EU are not met, we will withdraw it from the list

The fact that the Jadar project has been declared a project of strategic importance can change "overnight", more precisely, if the country does not meet certain criteria prescribed by the European Union, it will be immediately withdrawn from this list, explains Eirini Zarkadoula, spokeswoman for the European Commission, in an interview with Nova.rs.

In order for the works planned in the Jadar project, which include the mining of lithium and boron, to begin at all, numerous criteria must be met.

- All projects that are on the list of strategic importance remain subject to environmental impact assessment until further notice and require public consultation, in accordance with national legislation - Zarkadoula told Nova.rs.

As stated in Article 6 of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), every project, including Jadar, must be implemented in a sustainable manner.

- This primarily refers to monitoring, preventing and minimizing the impact on the environment, then socially unfavorable impacts through the use of responsible practices, including respect for human rights, as well as the rights of residents and workers, in the territory planned for mining. Especially in the case of forced relocation, when there is a potential for the creation of quality jobs and significant involvement of the local community. The conditions that the project must meet are the prevention of the risk of adverse effects on the proper functioning of the public administration, which also refers to corruption and bribery - the EC spokeswoman emphasized.

She pointed out that the members of the European Commission have assessed that the mentioned criteria have been met.

- It was also estimated that there were exceptional efforts by Rio Tinto in terms of transparency and public debates about this project. However, if the conditions change so that they are no longer considered to meet the given criteria, there are mechanisms by which the European Commission can withdraw a certain project from the list - explains Zarkadoula.

She also points out that the European Commission is well aware of the situation in Serbia and the attitude of citizens towards the Jadar project and lithium mining.

- We are aware of how concerned the citizens of Serbia are, first in general about the opening of mines, and especially lithium mining, and we considered that part in particular when we made the assessment. That is why it was emphasized that if the conditions for working on this project are not met, the project will be withdrawn - says Zarkadoula.

European Commission

Eirini Zarkadoula

Jadar

lithium