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EcoMin: Investor's assent needed to declassify Rosia Montana exploitation license
The government will decide to declassify the exploitation license of the Rosia Montana gold mining project following a relevant request in writing by the National Agency for Mineral Resources (ANMR), but the investor's assent is also needed for that, Minister of Economy Daniel Chitoiu said on Wednesday after the government's meeting.
'The contract is public, it isn't classified. The secret document is the exploitation license, which is managed by ANRM. The next step is for the government to decide the declassification of the license based on a request in writing by ANMR. This also requires the investor's approval,' said Daniel Chitoiu.
Environment Min.: Romanians must be informed of Rosia Montana project licence content
Last Monday, the Minister of Environment and Forestry Rovana Plumb told Agerpres on Monday that the Romanian public must know the content of the exploitation licence for the Rosia Montana (western Romania) gold mining project .'Besides the association agreement published on the Economy Ministry's website and which is public, we want the public to be informed of the content of the exploitation licence. The exploitation licences, in principle, are deemed classified information. But we are interested that, as long as this project is aimed at capitalising on such an important natural resource, the Romanians should know what it is about. It is not enough that one or two ministers should know what it is about, the public must have access to all the information relating this project', the minister stressed.
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced, in a Facebook post at the end of last week, that he will ask the Rosia Montana investor to open the contract relating Rosia Montana, even if 'it sets the host of vested interests in motion again'.
RMGC, in an official viewpoint sent Agerpres on Friday, July 20, underscored that opening the licence contract for the Rosia Montana mining project will only be possible if the Romanian state modifies the law classifying such information.
'Rosia Montana Gold Corporation company observes all the legal provisions in force. The association contract between the Romanian state, via Minvest Deva and Gabriel Resources, a company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, as well as its updating are public documents, available both at the Trade Registry and on the website of the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business Milieu./.../ As for the licence contract, it represents classified information in accordance with the law. If the Romanian state modifies the law and allows opening the mining licences, we will respect the law, as up until now', the company said.
RMGC was set up in the central Alba county in 1997 and its shareholders are state mining company Minvest Deva with a 19.31 percent stake and Gabriel Resources with 80.69 percent.
The company wants to develop the most advanced mine in Romania, at Rosia Montana and it plans to dig some 300 tons of gold and 1,400 tons of silver or the equivalent of 20,000 ingots.
Should the gold-mining project get the green light, Romania would become Europe's top gold producer, thus passing the top-two producers Finland and Sweden.