EU signs lithium agreement with Serbia amid protests | DW News

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has signed an EU co-operation agreement with the government of Serbia on lithium excavation. The mineral is used to make batteries for electric vehicles. The agreement has run into resistance in Serbia, as a lithium mine would destroy agricultural in the west. The EU is keen to shift its reliance on China for natural resources towards Europe. DW spoke to environmental activists in Serbia about the project.

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[stevan]

The president of Serbia has no right to make any agreements with anyone for mining he broke our law ! Not happening !!!!

[bisel]

My God, the double standards is so shameless

[m.j.]

Germany never was friend to serbian people..

[miloszuma]

Serbian people are against this mine and it won't happen!

[yfnncvf]

Proof that EU is not a friend of serbian people.

[gugy]

Myself a Serb, pro left, watching this, makes me hate EU like the rest of the country. I'm so sickened of the double standards 🤮

[hoca]

In Serbia, average vechile is 17 years old, so there is no way that these vechiles will be driving here. They will be try to ruin ecologicaly Serbia so EU members could drive 'cleaner' vechiles. Also, Serbia will have very little economical benefits from this, only 3% of reported profit made by Rio Tinto.

[Argaroth]

"This quiet region in Western Serbia holds the largest known lithium reserves in Europe."...
That is a lie!!! Portugal has the largest lithium reserves in Europe and the eighth largest worldwide. Why don't they dig there?

[garden.]

Germany has more than twice as many lithium reserves as Serbia, but they will give guarantees that Rio Tinto, which is not a company from the EU and which is known for not respecting any environmental protection standards, but is very famous for corruption scandals, will respect the standards in an almost a dictatorial country like Serbia... Really?

[robertwombat]

Rio Tinto is not a EU owned company. So what kind of guaranties will the EU give a country that is not part of the EU.???

[draganapavlovic-fcwx]

This must not happen in Serbia! People have to stop this madness of the government finally!

[zeljkotodor]

This is just an experiment for EU. In Serbia they will “train” their standards. EU mining standards for lithium do not exist! For Serbia there is a simple question, ecology vs oncology…

[aleksandramihovska]

Germany has 10 times more lithium than Serbia

[jadu]

EU double standard at its finest.
If this same deal made in Africa or Asia, they will condemn it. 😂

[ivanlazic]

As some Africans countries refuse to be colony of France, EU is acting fast and finding new colony much closer, and easier for blackmail, bribe and As a Serbian I feel a shame!!!!

[Immigrant]

Answer is NO, it won't happen. Vucic is a autocrat who rules with EU support, nothing that he signs have any value!

[emel]

As an American living in Serbia, this is so heartbreaking to watch. There is EXTREMELY strong public opposition to this, yet it’s being pushed through regardless. There is no trust that this will be done responsibly, and after watching this whole story unfold, I think the Serbian people are right to be against this.

I’ve really fallen in love with the natural landscape in Serbia, and it’s already shocking seeing how much environmental damage mining has done in Eastern Serbia. It’s really common here for people to have family gardens and grow their own food….pollution to the groundwater will ruin these beautiful traditions. I really hope this doesn’t move forward 💔

[TheJopa]

So Serbia is not even a part od EU but will provide energy for EU economy?

[lidija]

Serbian people are against EU. Leave us alone

[delagano]

No one asked people for his.. Our country is against this..