Română
Certej Mining License Expired and Was Not Renewed
Mining Watch & Declic: Community Victory as Certej Mining License Officially Cancelled
April 3, 2025 — Declic and Mining Watch Romania welcome the decision of the National Regulatory Authority for Mining, Oil, and Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide (ANRMPSG) to not renew the mining license for the Certej gold project.
Following numerous legal actions and sustained efforts by environmental and local organizations, ANRMPSG has officially confirmed that License No. 435/1999, held by Deva Gold, expired on January 24, 2025, and was not renewed. The official response from ANRMPSG can be consulted here.
“This crucial decision is a direct and justified response from the authorities to the petitions signed by tens of thousands of citizens and the legal actions initiated by civic organizations,” said Roxana Pencea, representative of Mining Watch Romania.
In its legal proceedings, the Mining Watch Romania network demonstrated that the environmental stuides for the Certej gold mining project were flawed at the time of the license extension and that the environmental risks had not been properly assessed. This raised serious concerns about the legality of the license renewal process back in 2000, and competent authorities were alerted that the administrative acts issued at the time were, in fact, null and void.
“This is a major victory for social and environmental justice, as well as for the citizens who have tirelessly fought to protect the environment. ANRMPSG’s decision not to renew the Certej license is a strong signal that, when citizen mobilization aligns with legal actions and civic pressure, positive outcomes are achievable,” said Tudor Brădățan, Executive Director of Declic.
It is worth recalling the open letter addressed to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, along with the petition signed by over 23,000 citizens, who firmly called for the termination of the license renewal procedure for the Certej project. This is a clear message: environmental protection and the safeguarding of Romania’s natural resources cannot be ignored and must take precedence over short-term economic interests that could jeopardize the country’s long-term ecological and economic security.
Notes to Editors:
The Certej mining project, located in Certeju de Sus commune, Hunedoara County, is promoted by Eldorado Gold (ELD: TSX), a Canadian low-cost gold company aiming to develop Romania’s first open-pit gold and silver mine. The Certej deposit is operated by Deva Gold SA, a joint venture between Eldorado Gold (holding 80% of shares) and the state-owned company Minvest Deva (holding approximately 20%).
