Environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the European Commission over its decision to grant preferential “strategic” status to Portugal’s Barroso lithium mine project, developed by London-listed Savannah Resources (SAVS.L), opens new tab.
Local residents’ association United in Defence of Covas do Barroso and ClientEarth group said they filed the lawsuit with the EU’s Court of Justice after Brussels refused to reconsider its 2025 decision under the Critical Raw Materials Act.
That was “despite detailed evidence showing the project poses serious environmental, social and safety risks”, they said in a statement.
Projects like Savannah’s in Portugal are seen as a key test of Europe’s ability to produce lithium and other materials seen as essential to the energy transition, but they often face opposition from environmental groups.
Barroso has been a World Heritage site for agriculture since 2018.
The groups said that securing access to critical raw materials “cannot come at the expense of environmental protection, public participation or community rights.”
“The energy transition must be based on law, science and justice – not political shortcuts that turn rural regions into sacrifice zones,” they said.
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