Dear Mr. Ciolacu, stop the renewal of the Certej Mining License!

Open Letter to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu

Dear Mr. Ciolacu, stop the renewal of the Certej Mining License!

Dear Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu,

We write you on behalf of over 23,000 citizens who have signed the petition against the extension of the mining license for the Certej gold deposit.

Recent judicial investigations have revealed deeply problematic links between Călin Georgescu, candidate for the presidency of Romania, and Frank Timiș, the initiator of controversial mining projects at Roșia Montană and Certej. Mr. Georgescu has come forward promising the immediate opening of gold mines in Romania, including Certej, in exchange for financial support for his campaign.

This direct involvement of a presidential candidate in negotiations with a notoriously bad-reputation mining magnate, for clearly political and personal purposes, seriously undermines the integrity of decision-making at the highest levels of leadership and endangers Romania’s economic and ecological security. With his promises, Mr. Georgescu has shown his intention to sacrifice national interests in favor of opaque agreements, which cannot be ignored. The Ciolacu government’s extension of the license under the same conditions of lack of transparency and avoidance of public consultation raises numerous suspicions about the political trading of Romania’s resources by those engaged in the electoral fight.

Moreover, the Canadian company Eldorado Gold – ELD (TSX) recently announced its intention to sell its majority stake in the Certej project, adding another layer of uncertainty regarding the future of the national resource exploitation. In such a volatile context, any decision to extend the license, made behind closed doors, could facilitate its transfer to dubious entities, with potential severe repercussions on national economic security and stability. Any hasty decision by the Government these days could be the next major international arbitration case against our country, with demands for billions of euros in damages for an agreement not subjected to public vigilance.

The decision of the Cluj Court of Appeal in 2019, which stopped the mining project through a definitive cancellation of the Zonal Urban Plan, highlights serious legal issues and environmental impact, demonstrating that the project lacks a legal basis and social acceptability.

Therefore, in light of these findings and risks, we ask you to take the necessary measures and thus:

1. Immediately stop any process of renewing the mining license for Certej;
2. Ensure transparency and integrity in managing Romania’s natural resources;
3. Avoid compromising national security by conceding resources to entities involved in acts of corruption and inadequate negotiations.

It is imperative that the Government of Romania puts the interests of its citizens and the state above any personal or obscure financial arrangements, especially in the context of such a sensitive issue as the exploitation of natural resources.

Hoping for a swift and national interest-favorable decision, we thank you for your attention to this vital issue.

Respectfully,

Mining Watch Romania

Mining Watch Romania is the network monitoring mining projects founded by activists of the Save Roșia Montană campaign. Regarding the Certej mining project, Mining Watch has joined the local community in its efforts to verify the legality of the cyanide mining project at Certej. Among the actions taken are the stopping of Deva Gold’s construction site organization in 2014 or the suspension of the procedure to remove the 56 hectares of forest from the National Forest Fund in 2018. The network’s activity is supported by individual donations.