Setback for European Lithium as Key Austrian Permit Overturned

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A pivotal approval for European Lithium’s flagship Wolfsberg project has been rescinded by an Austrian court, creating fresh regulatory uncertainty. This development arrives just as the European Union is launching a multi-billion euro offensive to secure domestic supplies of critical raw materials.

On November 25, the Austrian Federal Administrative Court nullified a prior decision by the Carinthian state government. That earlier ruling had allowed the lithium mining project to proceed without undergoing a full environmental impact assessment (EIA). The court’s justification centered on concerns that a blanket exemption for sites under ten hectares might contravene broader European Union environmental regulations.