Serbia Finalizes a Lithium Exploitation Pact with the European Commission

Serbia has recently entered into a strategic partnership with the European Commission, focusing on lithium exploitation. However, this move has sparked strong resistance within the country, fueled by over two years of controversy, and notably, the authorities have maintained a conspicuous silence on the matter.

Activists and members of the Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS) have vehemently opposed lithium exploration and associated mining and processing projects for an extended period. On September 22, Serbia and the European Commission officially signed a letter of intent to kickstart a strategic partnership in the realms of batteries and critical materials, with a specific emphasis on lithium, as reported by the Serbian research and media organization, Demostat.

According to Demostat, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs (DG GROW) has underlined that Serbia is in the process of harmonizing its legislation with that of the European Union, as it strives to secure candidacy for EU membership. This alignment includes mining-related projects.

Furthermore, the Commission has expressed its preference for developing processing capabilities at the very locations where the extraction occurs. However, some independent experts have criticized this policy, asserting that it represents a form of "dirty technology."

In a related development, the proposed Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) is aimed at streamlining the procedures for mining projects and prioritizing the extraction and processing of a select group of thirty strategic minerals.

In response to these developments, a petition has been launched in opposition to this policy. The petition argues that it could lead to a significant expansion of mining activities within the EU and potentially beyond. Activists are calling upon the European Parliament and ministers responsible for mining in EU member states to reject the bill, contending that it contravenes fundamental human and environmental rights. This petition was initiated by organizations including Salvemos la Montaña from Spain, Não às Minas from Portugal, Marš sa Drine (a member of SEOS) from Serbia, OPSAL from Chile, Earth Thrive from the United Kingdom and the Balkans.

SEOS, the Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia, has been particularly critical of the letter of intent. They have stated, "Anyone who is silent or only mildly reacts to such issues is complicit and is participating in the colonization of Serbia alongside the regime. Everyone else remains silent, except for us, the local activists with genuine intentions toward this nation, as we strive to prevent Serbia from becoming Europe's colony and a dumping ground." The environmental activists emphasize their commitment to protecting Serbia from what they perceive as potentially detrimental external influences.