Serbia and European Commission Sign Letter of Intent for Exploitation of Lithium

On September 22, the European Commission and the Government of Serbia signed the letter of intent about commencing the activities on a strategic partnership in the fields of batteries and critical raw materials, including lithium.

The EC has confirmed for Demostat that the letter of intent between the Government of Serbia and the EU was signed in New York, when the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, also met with the vice-president of the European Commission for interinstitutional relations, Maros Sefcovic.

In response to Demostat’s remark that a part of the public in Serbia claims that Rio Tinto will open mines in Serbia and leave it devastated and the question whether there are mechanisms that would prevent this potential scenario, the EC says that “the EU legislation ensures the highest level of environmental protection and social protection, including mining projects.”

– As a country-candidate for EU membership, Serbia is in the process of harmonizing its legislation with Europe, including the field of environmental policy – the EC says and adds that they “advocate the development of capacities for the processing and refining in the same location where the resources are, like in the EU.”

Vlada Republike Srbije

Rio Tinto Exploration Dunav d.o.o. Beograd

European Commission

Aleksandar Vucic

Maros Sefcovic

Rio Tinto

lithium

lithium exploitation

letter of intent about commencing the activities on a strategic partnership in the fields of batteries and critical raw materials