Zdrava Kotlina: We have enough facts to revoke Ilovica‑Shtuka concessions

Zdrava Kotlina, an environmental association, says it has gathered enough evidence to justify terminating the concessions for the Ilovica‑Shtuka mining project and urged the Government to act, arguing there are no legal obstacles to do so.

"It is certain that the arguments we have been sharing for years frighten the concessionaires; they have been avoiding confrontations everywhere for years now because we know a lot about their, so to speak, malpractices, so we believe the prime minister can be encouraged to take these, so to speak, to give a stimulus that will calm the population, because the issue has already been inflamed," said Gjorgji Tanushev of Zdrava Kotlina.

The group warned that opening the mine would bring serious environmental and economic consequences across the entire Southeast region. They said establishing such an industrial facility would be unacceptable under any conditions.

Calls to reverse exploration concessions

Tanushev argued that international examples show how mining projects can spark prolonged conflict and pollution. "To be sure, because if this mine opens here, as we know from global experience — Spain was relevant recently — there will be no peace here. Everything will be polluted, everything will become problematic, and the investor himself will have to deal with all these problems under emergency conditions, so they will unnecessarily draw anger instead of resolving the situation in favor of citizens and in accordance with the laws. The laws are entirely on our side," he added.

Alongside the demand to cancel the Ilovica‑Shtuka concessions, environmental organizations asked the Government to withdraw its decision to announce concessions for prospecting geological exploration in the eastern part of the country.

Author: Suzana Miceva

Photo: press material from the event