“We must and will stay the course on the goals set out in the European Green Deal. The climate crisis is accelerating at pace. And there is an equally urgent need to decarbonize and industrialize our economy at the same time.” For European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s green agenda is well on track. However, these moves also face controversy — and concerns over how good for the environment they really are.
While the green technology promoted by European authorities includes more electric vehicles (EVs), in high demand in recent years, the production process is far from the rhetoric of clean and eco-friendly industries. In particular, the global demand for electric batteries and cars has increased the need for lithium — a crucial metal used in batteries to power EVs. The EU’s green transition relies on it, too.
The Jadar project is a significant lithium and boron mining initiative located in Serbia, a non-EU member state. It aims to extract lithium from the Jadar Valley, which is believed to contain one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe. This project has gained considerable political support from the UK, Australia, and the United States as well as the EU. Examining the EU’s support for lithium mining in Serbia reveals that its green-transition agenda is less environmentalist or good for local populations than it may sound.
This has also stirred conflict in Serbia itself. In early 2022, the government had to revoke Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto’s license following widespread protests. But this summer, it reversed its decision, sparking new mass protests. Hundreds of protesters rallied in the western Serbian town of Loznica, waving national flags and banners with slogans like “You Shall…
Auteur: Nina Miholjcic Ivkovic
