Mining Lithium in Serbia
Authors:
Tatjana Avramović (Zajedničko), Janko Stefanović (Zajedničko), Andrej Ivančić (Zajedničko), Predrag Momčilović (Zajedničko)
Abstract:
This case study explores the Jadar lithium mining project in Serbia to examine how EU decarbonisation and energy transition policies are shaping national strategies, political narratives, and institutional responses in a semi-peripheral context. Addressing a gap in the literature on green transition impacts beyond the EU core, the research asks how such policies influence governance practices and provoke local resistance. Using discourse analysis and the Loss and Damage framework, the study investigates environmental, social, cultural, and economic dimensions at the project, sectoral, and national levels. Key findings reveal that decarbonisation goals, while framed as sustainable, may justify extractive practices and marginalize communities. The case contributes to broader literature on green extractivism, environmental justice, and post-socialist development, demonstrating how EU-aligned climate policies can reproduce inequality and sacrifice local interests for global green agendas.
