Experts: Jadar Project not scrapped, Rio Tinto has no intention of withdrawing

The publication, which features contributions from 26 experts across various fields, describes the Jadar project as technically and ecologically uncertain, economically unviable for Serbia, and socially and legally unacceptable. The authors, including Djordjevic, Vera Dondur, Radmilo V. Pesic, Zoran Stevanovic, and Melita Kosanovic, warn that the project carries unforeseeable risks to both public health and natural resources.

Djordjevic noted that the project is currently in the stage of seeking approval for its environmental impact assessment, adding he believes the company has no intention of withdrawing, and that the claims of the project's cancellation are merely a marketing ploy designed to mislead the public.

He argued that the public’s primary interest lies in preventing the adoption of a new law on mining and geological research because, as he put it, the company is just lying low and waiting for the passage of this law, which would significantly streamline administrative procedures in their favor.

If legal procedures were followed, Rio Tinto would be ineligible for any permits, and its existing ones would be revoked, Djordjevic said. He added that the European Commission's decision to designate Jadar as a project of strategic interest was not legally grounded, but rather a political decision.

Commenting on a recent poll by Nova srpska politicka misao (New Serbian Political Thought), which found that 63.5 percent of Serbian citizens oppose the mine while only 19 percent support it, Djordjevic noted that two-thirds of the population believe the primary beneficiaries would be the Serbian government, Rio Tinto, Germany, and the European Union (EU). He added that citizens remain highly skeptical of any actual benefits for Serbia.

Radmilo V. Pesic, who analyzed the project's economic impact, said that the benefits would be minimal, while the risks and costs would be exceptionally high.

The monograph’s editor, Vera Dondur, explained that the word “catastrophe” was used in the title because the contributing experts were unable to find a single positive aspect of the project. She warned of the high toxicity of lithium and boron, emphasizing that the Jadar Project is not merely a mine, but a mining-industrial complex.

Dondur said that 22 villages, primarily focused on agriculture, would be directly threatened in the Jadar and Korenita river basins. “The numerous and realistic risks of spreading pollution could lead to the devastation of the Macva region, which is Serbia’s largest and most significant source of drinking water,” she warned.

The presentation also highlighted that the project requires massive quantities of harsh chemicals. Experts expressed particular concern over the simultaneous production of lithium and boron on a scale never before seen in Europe or the rest of the world.

Co-author Melita Kosanovic reminded the audience that the Jadar area is home to approximately 500 plant species and subspecies, as well as numerous insects, fish, and mammals, many of which are strictly protected under international conventions.

“Lithium and boron are easily absorbed from the soil, threatening crops, grains, vegetables, and fruit. Their accumulation in plants allows toxic elements to enter the food chain, with serious consequences for wildlife and human health,” Kosanovic said.

Co-author Zoran Stevanovic pointed to the significant risks of flooding and landslides associated with the proposed development.