Despite Europe’s growing demand for lithium, the German Zinnwald lithium project has not been included on the EU’s list of strategic initiatives. Instead, the Jadar project in Serbia was selected as a strategic priority. According to the director of the Zinnwald project, the exclusion is due to the many uncertainties still surrounding lithium mining near the Czech border.
The European Commission’s decision to classify Serbia’s Jadar project as one of strategic importance has triggered strong reactions within Serbia. Srecko Matic, a Deutsche Welle reporter, told N1 that this designation does not necessarily mean the project will be implemented.
He explained that the European Commission’s list of 47 strategic projects within the EU and an additional 13 outside the EU is part of an effort to implement the Critical Raw Materials Act. The aim is to reduce the EU’s reliance on third countries for raw materials essential to the survival of the automotive sector and the production of lithium batteries.
“The European Union is thinking about itself—about its own interests, the interests of its citizens, and their future… This stems from a traumatic dependence on Russia, something the Germans felt most deeply, having based their post-WWII industrial production on cheap Russian gas,” Matic said, outlining the EU’s position.
He noted that the Zinnwald project near the Czech border is somewhat parallel to Jadar, as both involve deep-earth lithium mining. However, Zinnwald was not granted strategic status.
“I recently visited the area and spoke with the project director, Marco Ullig. He admitted there are still many unknowns, which is why the project wasn’t declared strategic,” Matic recounted.
Ullig told Deutsche Welle that only projects that are “fairly mature” and close to entering the production phase received the strategic label. Zinnwald, by contrast, is not expected to begin operations until 2030.
He added that projects with strategic status will benefit from simplified access to EU funding and expedited permitting processes, although the exact mechanisms remain unclear.
