Call to Action
On February 5, 2025 , the European Parliament will host the premiere screening of the documentary Not in My Country: Serbia’s Lithium Dilemma , directed by Peter Tom Jones. While presented as an objective investigation into lithium mining, there are significant concerns regarding its credibility and impartiality. Rather than offering a comprehensive analysis of lithium extraction’s social, environmental, and political ramifications in Serbia, it disproportionately amplifies corporate interests while omitting key voices from affected communities, a broad range of experts, and civil society organizations.
The screening of this film in a key European institution risks legitimizing industry propaganda that downplays the concerns of local populations and disregards scientific warnings regarding the ecological consequences of the Jadar lithium project. The EU’s credibility in upholding ethical, environmental, and democratic standards is at stake.
Call to Protest Outside the EP
We call upon the Serbian and Balkan diaspora, international environmental advocates, human rights defenders, and concerned citizens across Europe to participate in a peaceful demonstration opposing both the biased representation in this documentary and the broader issue of lithium extraction at the expense of communities, ecosystems and democracy.
When? 5 February 2025, 13:00 CET
Where? Place du Luxembourg, in front of the European Parliament, Brussels
Call to Action Inside the EP
We urge respected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to critically engage with the issues raised in this documentary and its broader implications. We call on them to reject one-sided narratives that lack diverse and independent perspectives on lithium extraction and its socio-environmental consequences. We invite them to advocate for fair and transparent policy discussions that genuinely include affected communities, scientists, and civil society organizations. Finally, we are once again, as did hundreds of thousands in the streets, asking to critically assess the Jadar lithium project as part of a broader EU strategy for sustainable resource management, ensuring that the economic benefits for some, do not come at the expense of unprecedented environmental degradation and democratic exclusion of many.
Why Is This Screening In The EP Problematic?
- Misrepresentation of intent – The filmmakers misrepresented the project as a neutral, scientific endeavour, given the well-documented political dimensions. However, the film lacks a scientific or journalistic minimum of balanced arguments.
- Lack of informed consent – Individuals who appear in the film were not adequately informed or consulted regarding their participation. Some of them expressed their wish to be excluded from the movie. This is a potential breach of journalistic and research standards, which goes against EU project funding rules.
- Problematic portrayals – The local Serbian community is stereotypically depicted as irrational and anti-progress, reinforcing outdated and patronizing narratives. The agency of the grassroots movement is further insulted through insinuations of Russian influence without any evidence.
- Exclusion of key stakeholders – The film does not include perspectives from independent experts, academia, civil society organizations, numerous grassroots initiatives or political representatives who have publicly opposed the project.
- Biased representation of conflict – While the documentary highlights corporate challenges, it neglects to illustrate the difficulties and hardships local residents and activists face in resisting the Jadar project. Only in 2024, there were more than 40 controversial arrests, illegal surveillance, intimidation, death threats and smear campaigns against the activists and scientists who criticized the mine project.
- Unbalanced debate – judging from the announced list of speakers, the discussion following the film shows no intention to repair the imbalance, giving the floor predominantly to the proponents of the mining project.
- Potential reputational risks for the EU – By providing a platform for this film without critical scrutiny, EU institutions risk being seen as endorsing one-sided corporate propaganda, thus promoting extractive projects that contradict Europe’s commitments to environmental sustainability, human rights and democracy.
Why is the Jadar Project Controversial for the EU?
Serbia’s proposed Jadar lithium mine poses significant environmental, social, political and ethical challenges. Independent scientific studies warn of irreversible damage to local ecosystems, including water and soil contamination, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Furthermore, concerns about governance, corruption, repression, transparency, and the social consequences of forced displacement add further complexity to the issue.
Supporting such a project endangers the European project and contradicts the EU’s commitments to environmental protection, biodiversity protection, sustainability, and human rights. The European Green Deal and the Just Transition Mechanism should prioritize sustainable alternatives rather than extractive industries that risk long-term ecological and social harm in every supply chain step.
Endorsing or tacitly supporting ventures like Jadar amid rapidly increasing autocratisation and political crisis in Serbia undermines EU institutions’ credibility in promoting democratic standards even towards EU members and their respected citizens. By disregarding and alienating the mine-opposing majority of citizens of a candidate country, who are suffering silencing and oppression, there is another risk of creating an unstable and unpredictable geopolitical vacuum.
Take a Stand Now! The Jadar lithium project and the discourse surrounding it serve as a test of Europe’s commitment to responsible resource governance. Let’s ensure that corporate interests do not overshadow the voices of those affected by extractive projects. Together, we can advocate for a future prioritizing environmental integrity, social justice, and democratic decision-making.
“Not in my country”? Not in our EP!
Signatories:
- Alliance of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS).
- We don’t give Jadar, Serbia
- Suvoborska greda, Serbia
- Eco Brigade Jagodina, Serbia
- Someone cares about Levač, Serbia
- Let’s protect Dobrinja and its surroundings, Serbia
- Organization for Political Ecology Polekol, Serbia
- March from the Drina, Serbia
- Friends of the Earth Europe
- European Environmental Bureau
- Save the Mountain Rivers of Kraljevo, Serbia
- Thumb Up Brussels, Belgium
- Extinction Rebellion Serbia
- Green Wave Čačak – Green Wave, Serbia
- Eco Hero – Eco Hero, Serbia
- Libergraf Uzice, Serbia
- Defend the Forests of Fruška Gora, Serbia
- Save Studenica, Serbia
- Team 42 Leskovac, Serbia
- Rangers of East Serbia – Rangers of East Serbia, Serbia
- EcoBarajevo, Serbia
- Center for Sustainable Development of Serbia – Center for Sustainable Development of Serbia, Serbia
- Eco Block – Eco Block, Serbia
- Battle of Vlasina, Serbia
- Defend the Rivers of Stara planina, Serbia
- Eco Guard, Serbia
- Foundation Atelier for Community Transformation – ACT, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Forest University, Fruška Gora, Serbia
- iRevolution Valjevo, Serbia
- Studenac Nova Varos, Serbia
- Civil movement buđenje (Cardboard Revolution), Bosnia and Herzegovina
- For less garbage and more happiness initiative
- Wild Belgrade initiative
- Right to Water initiative
- ECO Social Action
- Montescola Foundation
- Ecologists in Action
- Friends of the Earth
- Ecological association Eko Put, Bijeljina BiH
- Eco Forum Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Center for Environment, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Youth for climate justice, Slovenia
- EcoTOUR Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- UG Tvrđava Smederevo, Serbia
- Choir – United Balkan Resistance and Labor
- Protect the Rivers of Prijepolje, Serbia
- List of Democratic Students (LDŠ), Slovenia