EU includes Rio Tinto's lithium project in Serbia among its strategic initiatives

The European Commission has formally ranked multinational Rio Tinto's Jadar lithium project in western Serbia as a strategic project for the European Union (EU) in the field of raw materials mined outside the Union. BalkanEngineer.com has learned this from the official announcement on June 5, 2025. It comes in the context of EU efforts to diversify the supply of critical resources and strengthen the bloc's economic sustainability.

According to the EC statement, the selected strategic projects have been evaluated by independent experts on environmental, social, governance and technical criteria, in line with the new legislation on critical raw materials. The main objective is to make these projects mutually beneficial for both the EU and the third countries in which they are implemented.

The Yadar project, estimated to cost €2.36 billion, was temporarily frozen two years ago due to widespread public protests and concerns about potential environmental impacts. However, the Serbian government resumed its support for the project in 2024, stating that operations could start in 2028, provided all environmental requirements are met and the relevant permits are obtained.

According to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who hinted in March about upcoming European support, the EC's decision is a significant step towards deepening cooperation between Serbia and the EU in strategic sectors such as the production of batteries for electric vehicles.

Rio Tinto's project is among the most ambitious in the region and envisages the extraction of lithium and boron, raw materials important for Europe's green transition and energy transformation.

Photo source: ©Engineer BG via Canva.com