The Bureau of the Berne Convention has once again expressed serious concerns about the potential negative effects of lithium mining in Serbia’s Jadar river valley on water and soil quality. The organization urged Serbian authorities to halt the project until a thorough environmental impact assessment, meeting the highest standards, is conducted. This was announced today by the environmental NGO Earth Thrive.
During a meeting on June 18 and 19, the Bureau reviewed the lithium mining case in Serbia based on a complaint it received, according to reports by the Beta news agency.
The Bureau highlighted the risk of significant harm to water and soil quality, which could adversely affect the flora and fauna downstream of the mining site. It called on the government to suspend project implementation until a comprehensive environmental assessment is completed.
Additionally, the Bureau requested further information regarding the removal of 60 protected species from documents issued by the Nature Protection Institute of Serbia. This omission could violate three key articles of the Berne Convention: integration of nature protection into development plans (Article 3.2), preservation of endangered species’ habitats (Article 4.1), and prevention of deterioration of protected natural areas (Article 4.2).
Earth Thrive noted that this marks the first time the Bureau has explicitly cited a potential breach of the Convention’s articles, signaling a possible violation of international law.
The Bureau also criticized the lack of transparency and insufficient available information on the project and recommended holding online consultations with independent experts to ensure openness and thorough evaluation.
