Western Balkans face resource exploitation amid green transition; EU policy overlooks local rights and environmental costs.
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The article examines how green transition policies are positioning the Western Balkans as a strategic raw material base for global industries, while states from former Yugoslavia lack the capacity to resist harmful mining projects. Mineral-rich countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia face intense resource competition, with EU mineral registers highlighting their potential in various metals. Third World nations risk becoming mere suppliers of minerals needed by leading new industrial powers.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite commitments to decarbonization by 2050, political instability and economic weaknesses hinder effective environmental protection against foreign investment interests. The EU’s Mineral Register shows BiH and Serbia possess significant potential in base, rare, precious metals, energy sources, and construction materials.
Globally, major powers are securing resource dominance; for instance, a US-Ukraine agreement grants the US preferential access to Ukrainian critical minerals through an investment fund, potentially limiting Ukraine’s independent control over its resources despite constitutional rights. In Ukraine, mining operations, such as those in Zhytomyr, are already causing severe environmental degradation like water contamination and land desertification.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, projects like Arcore AG’s lithium project in Majevica have received strong support from Republika Srpska authorities, while local activists protest the destruction of nature and lack of transparency. Meanwhile, Milorad Dodik has publicly offered RS natural resources for partnership with various global powers, including Hungary, which shows close ties between Hungarian leadership (Orban) and RS/Serbian political figures.
In Serbia, the Jadar Project, a major lithium initiative planned by Rio Tinto, is recognized as strategic by the EU under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), despite local protests and environmental concerns raised by activists who criticize the EU for prioritizing economic interests over human rights and environmental protection.
The article contrasts this extractive focus with European solutions: Italy is actively developing methods to reclaim abandoned mines through ecological restoration and recycling, while Germany focuses on technological advancements in recycling rare earth magnets to reduce dependence on China. Ultimately, the piece warns that the global race for resources risks exploiting vulnerable nations without adequate regard for local environmental or human rights concerns.
