A United Nations compliance committee has ruled that Portugal violated international environmental rights during the approval process for what is set to become Europe’s largest lithium mine.

The Project at the Center

The mine in question, operated by Savannah Resources, lies in Portugal’s Barroso region—a UNESCO-recognized agricultural heritage landscape since 2018. With an estimated 28 million metric tons of lithium reserves, the site is considered crucial for Europe’s push to secure raw materials needed for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and renewable energy storage. Savannah Resources has targeted 2027 as the start of production.

What the UN Found

The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee determined that Portugal’s environmental agency (APA) failed to comply with the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees public access to environmental information, participation in decision-making, and the right to challenge public decisions.

Key failures included:

• Not responding to public requests for information within legal deadlines.

• Failing to inform citizens about their rights to appeal environmental licensing decisions.

• Restricting public scrutiny during a process with significant environmental and social impacts.

The case was brought forward in 2021 by Spain’s Montescola Foundation, with support from Portuguese organizations. Following the ruling, Montescola’s president, Joam Evans, called for the mine’s environmental permit to be revoked.

Reactions and Next Steps

• Portugal’s APA defended its process, insisting it had complied with the law and that all necessary information was made available.

• Savannah Resources has not commented publicly on the decision.

• Local communities and environmental advocates hailed the ruling as confirmation of long-standing concerns about lack of transparency and meaningful consultation.

Why It Matters

The ruling has broader implications for how mining projects are approved across Europe. Lithium is a key “transition mineral” for the green energy shift, but the decision highlights the tension between accelerating resource extraction and protecting environmental rights and communities.

Observers say the UN’s findings could influence future licensing processes in Portugal and beyond, ensuring governments and companies give greater weight to transparency, accountability, and community participation in mining approvals.