Romanian court rejects appeal regarding suspension of key certificate for Rosia Montana mining project

Newsroom 16/04/2014 | 14:42

The appeal of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), the miner controlled by Gabriel Resources, regarding the suspension of the Archeological Discharge Certificate (ADC) for the Carnic open pit was rejected following a ruling by the Suceava Court of Appeal in Romania.

The ADC obliges the company to conduct a program of preventative archaeology designed to unearth and preserve valuable historical relics in Rosia Montana. RMGC needs this certificate before seeking a constriction license for the mine. This ADC was obtained in 2011 and RMGC already holds similar certificates for the Cetate and Jig open pits.

“The effect of the suspension of the ADC is temporary, pending the irrevocable conclusion of a separate legal action launched by three non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”) seeking the annulment of the ADC. The next court hearing of the annulment case is scheduled to be heard by the Buzau Tribunal on May 20, 2014. An irrevocable decision on the merits of the annulment case may not be issued for several months and possibly into 2015,” said Gabriel Resources in a statement.

The company said this ruling will not impact permitting processes that run in parallel and the review of the Technical Assessment Committee of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment can continue. The miner has been seeking for 15 years to develop the controversial gold and silver project at Rosia Montana, with successive governments avoiding to make any decision on its future. 

“We sadly see that some NGOs continue to strongly oppose the economic and social development of a disadvantaged area of Romania by launching a series of claims without merit against the Project and the respective permitting authorities. Over the years, many of these claims have been dismissed by the Romanian courts to be without foundation,” said Jonathan Henry, Gabriel’s president and CEO in a statement.

“We remain committed to our goal of building one of Europe’s most modern mines in Rosia Montana, developed in full compliance with Romanian and European Union legislation, using the best available practices and sympathetic to the cultural heritage of the area,” he added.

Ovidiu Posirca

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