Serbia's new parliamentary majority calls for Jama Bor copper mine expansion to be suspended

Serbia's Student List movement, which won a majority of seats in the country's National Assembly in the Oct. 25 elections, has called for a halt to site preparations for the expansion of the Jama Bor copper mine.

The Student List requested Serbia's Agency for Spatial Planning and Urbanism to suspend the preparation of the spatial plan for the Jama Bor Mine's Phase II, and to submit an initiative to the future government to revoke the decision on the project, the movement said in a statement made in the week commencing Nov. 9.

The challenged project belongs to Serbia Zijin Copper—a majority-owned subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining Group—and aims to extend operations at the Borska Reka copper deposit and exploit its estimated ore potential of over 800 million mt at an average Cu grade of 0.57%.

The student-backed movement's main issues with it are ground instability, anticipated damage to Bor's historic center, and forced displacement, all likely caused by underground mining directly beneath populated areas and vital infrastructure.

Also, the Student List notes the government agency began the public inspection of a spatial plan with long-term environmental consequences only one day after the parliamentary elections, so well ahead of the ongoing rotations in the legislative and executive branches being fully completed.

Serbia's new National Assembly will be constituted within 30 days of the Nov. 5 announcement of the Oct. 25 parliamentary election results, with a new government to be formed within the following 90 days.

"We regard the haste with which the inspection was launched ahead of the change of government as an irresponsible move that favors a foreign investor and as a continuation of the practice of adapting spatial planning to the individual interests of companies rather than setting clear conditions and limits for mining development," the Student List's statement says. "Far-reaching plans of this kind, which carry significant risks to the environment and to the quality of life of the citizens of Serbia, should be decided on by the new National Assembly and the new Government."

The Jama Bor mine development project envisages the construction of a new flotation plant and additional mining infrastructure. Its implementation will increase the site's annual ore production from 4.8 million mt in the first year to 18 million mt in the fifth year of operations, while also extending its life by 22 years, according to Serbia Zijin Copper.

"We would like to emphasize that the preparation of the spatial plan for the special purpose area of the Jama Mine is proceeding within the framework of the legally prescribed procedure, under the authority of the relevant Serbian institutions, with opportunities for public information and participation by interested stakeholders," a company's spokesperson told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy.

Also, in its Nov. 6 statement, Serbia Zijin Copper said the initiative to prepare the spatial plan for the expansion was submitted to the spatial planning agency in January 2026; it was approved in August, and the recent launch of the early public review marks the next step in the statutory procedure.

In the same statement, the company confirmed that the project will entail extending mining operations into the deposit's deeper sections. Although construction of the flotation plant will not require household relocations, anticipated surface deformation from deepening the mine workings could make them necessary.

Serbia Zijin Copper said assessments of the planned excavation method have identified a potential subsidence zone covering part of the settlement of Brezonik and the area between it and the former Bor Open Pit Mine. Moving about 290 residential properties could be required.

At the same time, it stresses that the mine expansion is also significant for the economic development of Bor and the wider region, as it will generate additional royalties and other tax contributions, while preserving existing jobs and creating new employment opportunities.

"The company fully understands the importance of issues concerning the project's potential impact on the local community, particularly with regard to possible ground subsidence and the potential relocation of households," the spokesperson told Platts. It remains in discussions with residents to work out solutions, giving due consideration to their rights and interests, the spokesperson added.