...[E]ach of the acquired mines had benefited from substantial capital expenditure into new infrastructure and systems aimed at achieving fundamental improvements in their protection of the local environments and communities. Particular attention was allocated to the protection of local and regional waterways in terms of physical separation of the mining activities from natural waters, especially at times of prolonged precipitation and flooding. We consider it our natural obligation, as a socially responsible company, to provide our contribution to improving the working conditions and preserving the environment through meeting and wherever possible, exceeding the highest European standards. We will continue this in the future through ongoing improvements to the working conditions for employees and operational standards at group mines.

Recognising that the industrial activities of our group companies have an inherent social importance locally and further afield (provision of employment opportunities, economic benefit to local and national budgets, stewardship of the operational localities), we have also cultivated a transparent relationship with our stakeholders – the local communities, local and national authorities and the wider public through regular engagement of media outlets in pursuit of open communication. Requests by media companies to visit our plants were approved and welcomed by local managements, not only in a desire to inform the public objectively of topics that hold a genuine interest by the public, but to project the pride of managements and workers alike in the collective achievements and efforts of the particular mines.

Mines in the Mineco Group have received various awards, diplomas, and commendations for their work during the years. The Privatisation Agency of the Republic of Serbia assessed the privatisation of the “Rudnik” mine by “Mineco” among the most successful. This was confirmed in 2014 by a study by the NALED and USAID, listing the privatisation of the Rudnik mine among one of the top five privatisations in Serbia. We have also received awards as leaders in responsible business operations in Serbia, for exceptional contributions to preserving the environment, and for occupational safety by the European Committee on Health and Safety at Work, along with many other diplomas and awards. In recent years, the Mineco Group adopted goals at identifying and combatting the greenhouse gasses footprints of our industrial units in a bid to achieve carbon neutrality. This process is well under way, both in the assessments and in active solutions such as increasing energy efficiency and generation of energy from renewable resources. It should be pointed out that our extractive activity itself plays an important contribution to the global efforts at provision of commodities that are critical to the achievement of zero carbon economies. Due to all of the above, mines in the Mineco Group are considered to be among the most modern and safe in the region, and we will do everything in our power to maintain this in the future...