The Romanian government is proposing a moratorium on cyanide in mining, rather than a permanent ban, according to an announcement by NGOs Mining Watching at Work and Save Rosia Montana Campaign on 27 December.
Knowledge about cyanide use in mining became widely known after the tragic Baia Mare goldmine accident in 2000, which led to pollution in the Danube (see EUROPE 9270), and the more recent accident that occurred at Certej. The proposal for a temporary ban was adopted on 21 December. This proposal was submitted by the Romanian government in response to a request for an opinion from the Chamber of Deputies’ Industry Commission in 2015, during a parliamentary debate on two legislative proposals seeking to permanently ban cyanide-based technologies.
The Mining Watch Network and Save Rosia Montana Campaign NGOs have been calling on the Romanian authorities to introduce a permanent ban for years. In a press release they point out that a study ordered by the European Commission in 2010 showed that "none of the EU member states is a large gold producer, therefore it could be maintained that a ban on cyanide would have minor economic impacts in the EU". (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)