The proposed Jadar lithium project in Serbia remains suspended due to legal and regulatory uncertainty, despite its strategic importance for Europe’s critical raw materials supply, according to European Parliament representative Hildegard Bentele.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Bentele, a member of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union and rapporteur on critical raw materials policy in the European Parliament, said the project remains “frozen,” although mining major Rio Tinto continues to retain exploitation rights over the deposit.
She noted that the project could play a significant role in strengthening Europe’s lithium supply chain while delivering economic benefits to Serbia, provided a stable and reliable legal framework is established. According to Bentele, Rio Tinto has indicated its intention to comply with environmental and social standards should regulatory conditions improve.
The Jadar project, considered one of Europe’s largest lithium deposits, had previously been included on the European Union’s list of strategic raw material projects. Plans linked the development to potential downstream battery manufacturing investments, including earlier discussions involving German industry and automotive supply chains.
However, Bentele stressed that lithium mining projects require predictable licensing systems and institutional stability, conditions she believes are currently lacking. She pointed to concerns over governance, judicial independence and public trust in state authorities as key factors contributing to the project’s suspension.
The EU, she added, will not pressure Rio Tinto to resume development under present circumstances, describing continued investment as too risky without regulatory certainty. The company’s earlier decision to halt implementation in Serbia’s Jadar Valley was therefore understandable given public opposition and doubts surrounding permitting procedures.
While acknowledging broader challenges in sourcing critical minerals globally, often located in politically complex jurisdictions, Bentele emphasised that Serbia’s status as an EU candidate country places importance on alignment with European governance and environmental standards.
According to her assessment, the future of the Jadar project depends primarily on improvements to Serbia’s legal and institutional framework. Until then, the project remains suspended rather than permanently cancelled, leaving open the possibility of future development if regulatory stability is restored.
