Conflict Between People and Government Over Western Zadar Mine Development
Environmental Pollution Controversy... Europe’s 3rd Largest Reserves
A large-scale protest against lithium mining by a multinational mining company took place in Serbia, a landlocked country on the Balkan Peninsula.
On the 11th (local time), AFP reported that tens of thousands of protesters, including environmental groups, marched through the center of the capital, Belgrade, the previous day. The protesters shouted slogans such as "Rio Tinto, get out of Serbia" and "No mining" as they marched. They also entered Belgrade's main train station and occupied the railway tracks in a sit-in protest. The Serbian Ministry of the Interior estimated the number of participants to be between 24,000 and 27,000. Zlatko Kokanovi?, the organizer of the protest, expressed his intention to continue the railway occupation protests, stating, "We will stay here day and night." Interior Minister Ivica Da?i? declared a tough stance in a statement, saying, "All organizers and leaders of the protest will be prosecuted."
On the 10th (local time), a large-scale protest against the resumption of lithium mine development took place in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]
Rio Tinto is a global mining company composed of British and Australian capital. The company, having taken note of the profitability of the Jadar mine in western Serbia discovered in 2004, obtained development permission from the Serbian government in 2021. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Jadar mine contains approximately 1.2 million tons of lithium. This is an enormous amount, ranking 12th in the world and 3rd in Europe by reserves, sufficient to supply about 1.1 million electric vehicles annually, which corresponds to 17% of Europe's annual electric vehicle production.
Lithium is an essential raw material for battery production and has emerged as a strategic resource in line with the demand for electric vehicles, but it is a mineral with significant environmental pollution concerns during mining and refining processes. Moreover, controversy grew when it was revealed that the Serbian government granted development permission to Rio Tinto without completing environmental impact assessments and feasibility studies.
In 2022, the Serbian government canceled the mining development permit following repeated protests by local residents near the Jadar mine and environmental groups. However, recently, the Constitutional Court ruled that this decision was unconstitutional, returning the issue to square one. Ultimately, when the Serbian government reauthorized Rio Tinto's mining development, large-scale protests opposing it erupted.
In Serbia, air and water pollution have emerged as serious social issues. According to an analysis of European air quality data by the British daily The Guardian last year, five of the 15 regions with the worst air quality in Europe were in Serbia. Additionally, in 2020, the World Health and Pollution Association reported that Serbia had the highest death rate in Europe due to environmental pollution, with 175 deaths per 100,000 people.
Meanwhile, as the Jadar mine development project resumed after two years, the European Union (EU) and Germany signed a lithium supply chain agreement with Serbia. On the 19th of last month, Serbia, the EU, and Germany signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Belgrade for a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery supply chains, and electric vehicles.
With this MOU, the EU aims to reduce its dependence on China for lithium, a key raw material for smartphone and electric vehicle batteries, and diversify its supply chains. In particular, Germany, the largest automobile producer in Europe, is eager to secure lithium to gain an edge in the electric vehicle competition. Serbia is expected to attract battery and electric vehicle factories from Germany and other EU member states on the condition of supplying lithium to the EU and Germany, while also accelerating its long-pursued EU accession process.
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