The Bureau of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats has decided to put on standby the complaint from domestic and European NGOs against the Government of Serbia regarding the Jadar lithium project. It will closely monitor further developments and activate the complaint if the project is restarted, Earth Thrive said.
The decision of the Bureau of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats is very important for the locals and NGOs as they doubt the project is really terminated, which is what the Government of Serbia has announced. Of note, Rio Tinto recently said it is ready to renegotiate its Jadar project.
Zoe Lujić, founder and director of Earth Thrive, and Marija Alimpić from the Protect Jadar and Rađevina association told Balkan Green Energy News that the bureau is concerned about significant negative effects the construction of lithium mines would have on protected wild species and habitats.
Serbia is a signatory to the Bern Convention, which is legally binding. The complaint against the government regarding Rio Tinto’s project was filed by Earth Thrive in cooperation with the Earth Law Center and local association Protect Jadar and Rađevina.
They filed the complaint in September of last year, warning of potential risks to protected species in the area where the exploitation and processing of jadarite ore were planned. A few weeks before the response deadline, in late January, the Serbian government decided to suspend the project.
The Bureau of the Bern Convention put the case on standby and told the Ministry of Environmental Protection in a letter that it is ready to reactivate it if the project is restarted.
The bureau also asked the government to submit a report on the progress of the cancellation of the Jadar project. It also asked for regular reports on its status.
For more information and to read the full article go to Balkan Green Energy News.
