DPM confirms Vareš operating as normal amid Constitutional Court review of land dispute
TSX- and ASX-listed DPM Metals has confirmed that operations at its underground silver mine Vareš continue to operate as normal while the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has set a period of six months for relevant authorities to review challenged acts in a dispute related to State-owned forests and forest land in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The court clarified the legal limits and authority of federal, cantonal and municipal bodies to enter into acts concerning State-owned forests and forestry land, with the dispute directly involving concession agreements tied to mining projects, specifically the Vareš operation.
For now, the court ruling allows mining work to continue normally while the relevant authorities, including the Attorney General's Office, take the necessary steps to bring the matter into conformity and set aside acts that are found not to comply with the Law on the Temporary Prohibition of Disposal of State Property.
For context, the country remains divided into two main entities that are having State-level disagreements, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, which entered into a power-sharing framework in 1995. These broader issues are affecting a number of large concession-based investments in the country.
DPM intends to engage constructively with the Attorney General and the relevant authorities throughout this process.
