Request for Internal Review - Covas do Barroso mine

UDCB, MiningWatch Portugal and ClientEarth filed a complaint challenging the European Commission’s decision to grant preferential status to the controversial Mina do Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal.

The proposal for an open-pit mine was designated a ‘strategic project’ under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).  This status allows it to enjoy preferential treatment in permitting, assessment of environmental impacts, and for financing. This fast-tracking comes despite evidence that the project could threaten local water resources, harm biodiversity, and disrupt the traditional, culturally significant farming practices that sustain the community of Covas do Barroso.