Large deposits of raw materials in Europe are not being exploited

2026-06-24 22:00:39, Kosova & Bota CNA

Until recently, the entrance to the Troyarova mine was open. The abandoned tunnel was a very popular tourist destination in the Little Carpathians. This forest-covered hill range is located just a few kilometers northeast of the Slovak capital, Bratislava. But for several months, the area has been cordoned off.

The Canadian mining company Military Metals wants to mine gold and, above all, antimony here. This silvery-white semimetal is very rare but essential for the production of batteries, semiconductors and weapons. It is needed, for example, to strengthen ammunition, for precision weapons or for thermal imaging cameras.

After test surveys, Military Metals in April spoke of the largest antimony deposit in the entire EU. It is said to be 67,000 tons or up to a third of the EU's annual antimony consumption. "Last year, the price of antimony increased by 200 percent. This means that the value of antimony is about two billion US dollars," explains Martin Lendik, mayor of the neighboring municipality of Pernek.

The Troyarova antimony mine was explored in the 1980s, but was closed after the political changes of the mid-1990s. Many people in the region hope it stays that way.

"The extracted rock has to be crushed. Antimony and gold are what attract investors, but they also contain mercury and arsenic – metals that can destroy our environment," says Roman Macs, the mayor of Pezinok. The former mining area continues to face the environmental impacts of centuries of gold, pyrite and iron ore extraction. Now there are concerns about further contamination of the soil and groundwater.

The Little Carpathians attract visitors in winter with their ski slopes and in summer with their hiking trails. This romantic mountain range is also the most important wine-growing region in Slovakia. 3,000 residents signed a petition and the district capital, Pezinok, has taken legal action.

Michal Lukac, spokesman for Pezinok, explains: "We have well-founded suspicions that the exploration works have not been carried out to the indicated extent. Therefore, we have filed complaints with the General Prosecutor's Office. We demand the suspension of the works and a transparent investigation." Little attention is paid to the former miners, who are publicizing the creation of new jobs.

Slovakia included the antimony project two years ago on its list of critical raw materials for exploration and notified the European Commission. In June, Military Metals had planned to launch a feasibility study.

But now the Minister of Environment, Tomas Taraba, has bowed to public pressure and abruptly withdrawn the exploration license from the company: "I myself am from Pezinok. I have no interest in antimony being mined there." Officially, it is claimed that the public interest must be protected.

The antimony company is preparing an appeal. It considers the ban on the project to be unfounded and incompatible with the European Union's raw materials strategy.

The EU wants to become more independent from countries like China and Russia. China controls over 70% of antimony production and has restricted exports for two years. Since then, prices have risen sharply. However, according to Military Metals, Slovakia's indecision is damaging the country's reputation as an investment destination, as well as Europe's credibility.

Slovakia's Ministry of Economy is currently planning to speed up the extraction of raw materials and simplify procedures. However, the Ministry of Environment is controlled by a small right-wing party that supports a destructive policy and, moreover, is at odds with its minister.

There is another large antimony deposit in Slovakia, in the southeast of the country. This is also a former mining area with long-standing environmental problems and new concerns. This makes it even more important that the parties involved do a better job of raising awareness, urge geologists such as Peter Kodera of Comenius University in Bratislava.

He considers the ban on exploration work an ill-considered measure: "Exploration is not synonymous with extraction. Knowing one's own mineral resources should be a priority for a country." Especially when it comes to a raw material that the world undoubtedly needs./DW