European Metals Holdings has announced meaningful progress in the environmental permitting of its Cinovec lithium project in the Czech Republic, with the Ministry of Environment completing its review and publishing the full Environmental Impact Assessment — clearing the path for a public hearing to be scheduled in the coming weeks.
The EIA was submitted on 31 December 2025 and the ministry’s review process is now complete, marking a critical step on the path to final EIA approval. The public consultation phase, which will follow the hearing, is a mandatory prerequisite for the company to access grants from the EU Just Transition Fund and to advance toward a final investment decision.
European Metals also disclosed that a cross-border EIA process has been initiated for the mining component of the project, reflecting the fact that the Cinovec deposit straddles the Czech-German border. The cross-border assessment will focus specifically on impacts on cross-border hydrology and mine scheduling as they affect German interests. A fully-detailed cross-border hydrological model covering both the Cinovec and neighbouring Zinnwald projects has been prepared jointly by ERM International Group and the Danish Hydraulic Institute. Relevant sections of the Czech EIA have been translated into German and transmitted to the Saxon State Council, with Geomet — the project’s Czech operating subsidiary — having already held a number of meetings with the council to facilitate the process.
Executive Chairman Keith Coughlan described the ministry’s publication of the EIA as “a critical path item with regards the obtaining of the final EIA approval and progressing the Cinovec Project.”
Cinovec hosts a measured and indicated mineral resource of 193.5 million tonnes and a proven and probable reserve of 128.1 million tonnes, positioning it as one of Europe’s most significant lithium assets. A final investment decision is expected by the end of 2026, with construction planned for 2027 and first production targeted for 2028.
