Despite strong public opposition and the formal suspension of the project in Serbia, the EU has included Rio Tinto’s controversial “Jadar” mine on its list of strategic raw material initiatives in non-EU countries.
The decision clearly signals that European interests in securing lithium—a key raw material for the green transition—take precedence over the concerns of citizens, environmental organizations, and domestic institutions. Although the Serbian government officially halted the project in 2022 following mass protests, it evidently remains active in European and international plans.
Nevertheless, the European Commission now officially considers the project strategically important. The Jadar mine is part of a broader list of 13 projects in countries outside the EU, aimed at helping the bloc secure supplies of critical raw materials amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. In addition to Serbia, the list includes projects in Canada, Norway, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Zambia, Brazil, South Africa, Malawi, the United Kingdom, Madagascar, Greenland, and New Caledonia.
M.M.
