RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

A final vote on Rosia Montana mining project

The Gold Corporation Canadian company loses all hope of extracting gold from Rosia Montana, following final vote in Parliament.

A final vote on Rosia Montana mining project
A final vote on Rosia Montana mining project

, 04.06.2014, 13:15

The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday rejected a bill on gold and silver extraction in Rosia Montana, central Romania. The Senate also rejected the bill in November 2013. The recent vote in the Chamber of Deputies marks the definitive rejection of the bill.



According to a report drawn up by a special committee, the mining project does not meet all the necessary requirements for the exploitation of mineral resources in Romania. Moreover, it represented an attempt to amend the mining law to favour the Canadian company Gabriel Resources illegally and allow it to use cyanide in its mining works in Rosia Montana. The bill would also have spared this company from obtaining the necessary approvals and was founded on pieces of legislation which are no longer in force.



Civil society has repeatedly denounced the bill for allowing unconstitutional expropriations and exceptions to the law of historic and natural heritage as well as the European water directive. Last autumn, thousands of people took to the street asking the government to withdraw the bill in question from Parliament, ban the use of cyanide in the mining industry and unblock the application to include Rosia Montana, which is a former Roman settlement, on the UNESCO heritage list. Under pressure from the people, political support for the mining project decreased.



According to many Romanian and foreign scientists, the use of cyanide in the mining process in Rosia Montana is incompatible with the principle of sustainable development and citizens’ right to enjoy a clean environment.



The Gabriel Resources company, on the other hand, threatened the Romanian state to sue for billions of euros worth of damages unless the project went ahead. With 68 different gold deposits known to exist in its Western Carpathians, Romania has some of the largest gold reserves in the European Union.



The use of cyanide in conjunction with flotation in mining works would create, however, 2,900 hectares of cyanide waste, posing a major risk for the environment and generating wide-scale social problems.

Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe
The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Election campaigns in Romania

    The campaign for the general election in Romania started last week, at midnight on Thursday, and will end on 30 November. During this...

Election campaigns in Romania
November 1 - National Radio Day
Today in the News Friday, 01 November 2024

Radio Romania 96

Radio Romania has celebrated 96 years since it first entered the listeners houses from Romania and abroad. On November 1 1928 the Romanians were able...

Radio Romania 96
(Photo: pixabay@Engin_Akyurt)
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional
Today in the News Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Challenges of an ageing population

Romanians are getting fewer and older.   The population of Romania in mid-2024 was 21,779,000, down 1% compared to June 1, 2023. According to...

Challenges of an ageing population

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company