Opposition Seeks from Constitutional Court To Review the Constitutionality of Decree on Lithium Mining

Danijela Nestorovic (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

Danijela Nestorovic, an MP of the opposition Ecological Uprising, on Oct. 31 said that 72 MPs had signed a request seeking a review of the constitutionality of the Decree on spatial planning of the special purpose area slated for the lithium mining project Jadar. 

Speaking to reports outside the Constitutional Court, Nestorovic said that with its July 16 decision reinstating the Jadar project, the Serbian government had acted against the Serbian Constitution, causing “a legal paradox.”  

“The Decree adopted by the Serbian government in July is unconstitutional,” Nestorovic argued.

Asked when she was expecting the Constitutional Court to give its say on the request, Nestorovic replied that she could not answer as there was no maximum prescribed time for the Constitutional Court to make decisions. 

On July 16, the Serbian government adopted the Decree on spatial planning of the special purpose area slated for the project involving exploitation and processing of jadarite, a new mineral containing lithium and boron, which should be executed by multinational metals and mining corporation Rio Tinto.

Earlier, on July 11, the Constitutional Court ruled that the previous government Decree suspending the Jadar project in 2022, had not been in accordance with the Constitution or relevant laws.