The Initiative Committee of the citizens’ initiative “Majevica – Nature Park, Not a Lithium Mine” has submitted a petition signed by 6,057 citizens of Bijeljina, Zvornik, Lopare and Ugljevik, requesting the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska to put a moratorium on the granting concessions for the exploration and exploitation of lithium and other found raw materials in the area of Mount Majevica until the process of protecting this area in the category of a nature park is completed.
The list of all signatories and the accompanying necessary documentation has been submitted to the protocol of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska.
We remind you that, by the Amendments to the Spatial Plan of the Republic of Srpska until 2025, the above mentioned area is envisaged for protection in the aforementioned category, in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection, and the citizens’ association “Guardians of Majevica” initiated the declaration of a protected area.
The initiative was accepted by the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of RS, and the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage gave a positive opinion regarding the protection. Scientific research is currently underway to protect this area.
Citizens of the four aforementioned local government units have had the opportunity to support the citizens’ initiative by signing a petition over the past 27 days.
“The citizens’ initiative we conducted under the name “Majevica – Nature Park, Not a Lithium Mine” lasted from December 21, 2024 to January 16, 2025. We collected signatures in four local government units. In this process, we collected a total of 6,057 signatures and today, January 20, the citizens’ initiative with all accompanying documentation was submitted to the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska,” said Snežana Jagodić Vujić, a member of the Initiative Committee for this citizens’ initiative.
Andrijana Pekić, a member of the Initiative Committee, emphasized that the citizens of Majevica supported the initiative and remain committed to fighting with them to preserve their homes, clean air, drinking water, and unpolluted land.
“Mount Majevica has unexplored natural treasures and the process of obtaining the status of a protected area will continue, i.e. Mount Majevica can be and is, only a nature park, never a lithium mine in the hands of foreigners for a miserable mining rent of 3%”, Andrijana Pekić emphasized.
The Centre for Environment, which is a member of the Human Rights House Banja Luka, closely monitored the implementation of this initiative and provided legal assistance throughout the entire process.
“The citizens’ initiative was carried out in full accordance with the Law on Referendum and Citizens’ Initiative, which entered into force last year. It is interesting to note that the collection took less time than stipulated by this law, and the number of signatures collected was double the number stipulated by law as the minimum. Given the above, it is expected that this citizens’ initiative will be on the agenda before the delegates at the session of the National Assembly and that it will be decided on in accordance with the law”, said Sonja Kosanović, a lawyer at the Centre for Environment.
