(Alliance News) - Berkeley Energia Ltd on Wednesday noted media reports following a meeting of the Ecological Transition Ponencia in Spain on Tuesday, which discussed changes to a proposed amendment to the draft climate bill relating to the exploitation of radioactive minerals.
Shares in the Spain-focused uranium miner were down 7.6% at 33.50 pence on Wednesday in London.
The Ponencia is a sub-committee of the Commission of the Ecological Transition in Spain, which was formed to carry out a detailed study of the proposed amendments to the draft climate change and energy transition bill.
The modified amendment proposed by Ponencia states: "As of the entry into force of this law, no new applications will be accepted for the granting of exploration permits, investigation permits or direct exploitation concessions, nor their extensions, regulated under Law 22/1973, of July 21, on mines of radioactive minerals, as defined in Law 25/1964, of April 29, on nuclear energy, when such resources are extracted for their radioactive, fissile or fertile properties.
"In addition, applications for the authorisation of new radioactive facilities of the nuclear fuel cycle for the processing of radioactive minerals, as defined in the Regulation on nuclear and radioactive facilities, will no longer be accepted."
However, existing concessions, as well as open proceedings and applications related to these, will continue as normal based on the current legislation.
Berkeley stressed that the Spanish amendment still needs to be reviewed before being approved or rejected by the Commission of Ecological Transition of Parliament, and then follow the same process in the Senate.
The group expressed its opposition to the draft amendment, stating that "prohibition of economic activities in Spain with no justified reasons is contrary to the Spanish Constitution and to the legal rights recognised by other international instruments".
Concerning the Salamanca mine, the only approval left before full construction can start is authorisation for construction for the uranium concentrate plant as a radioactive facility.
By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com
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Berkeley Eng (BKY)