From 17 to 18 August 2026, 40 Romanian and Bulgarian civil society organizations sent letters to their respective countries’ environment ministers, pointing out that the Čukaru Peki and Malka Golaja mining and metallurgical complex may cause transboundary environmental and community impacts. These impacts include transboundary water pollution affecting the Timok and Danube rivers, significant water abstraction, and the risk of contamination to groundwater and aquifers. The organizations also noted that the project could threaten more than 280 protected plant and animal species. The petition specifically highlighted the potential impact on the local Vlach minority. The organizations participating in the petition are calling on the governments to formally request that Serbia recognize both countries as potentially affected parties and include their authorities and citizens in the cross-border consultation process. They are also demanding access to planning and environmental assessment documents prepared in the respective languages of both countries, as well as an independent assessment of the project’s cross-border and cumulative impacts.

BHRC reached out to Zijin Mining for response. Their response is shown below.