Atalaya Mining Regulatory News (ATYM)

AIM: EMED 24 March 2010

PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP

UPDATE ON THE PLANNED RESTART OF THE RIO TINTO MINE (or "PRT")

EMED Mining Public Limited ("EMED Mining" or "the Company"), the AIM quoted mining development and exploration company, is pleased to report the results of a meeting with the regional Planning Commission for Employment made up of representatives of the local municipalities, the association of businesses, and the trade unions.

PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP 

The following members of the Planning Commission recently met with the Company at the Municipal Council Headquarters in Rio Tinto:

·; Association of Municipal Councils (Mancomunidad)

·; Provincial Business Association (F.O.E.)

·; Labour Unions (U.G.T. and CC.OO)

Prior to the meeting the members of the Planning Commission released a statement that they would actively seek ways for the government to favour actions to speed up the reopening process of PRT in order to reduce the high levels of unemployment in the area.

PROJECT UPDATE AND BACKGROUND

The Company noted the following in the proceedings:

·; All relevant regulatory agencies have issued preliminary reviews of the Company's applications and are engaging constructively with the Company's technical experts;

·; The Technical Team is preparing and submitting the required reports to the authorities and is supported by Spanish and international independent experts from leading organisations in their field including EPTISA, EYGEMA, CGS, SUBTERRA, APPLUS and AMC;

·; Recent heavy rainfall at PRT constituted a "one in one hundred year" event. The Company's water management infrastructure and management system covers the entire site zoned for mining, including sections of the tailings dam controlled by other landholders. The entire site was carefully managed by EMED's subsidiary - EMED Tartessus - to protect public safety under its emergency response procedures;

·; Sales and marketing agent MRI Trading reported that it met potential product customers in the Far East to complement the interest received from PRT's traditional customers in Europe;

·; The Human Relations Team reported that over 2,500 applications had been received for training, selection and employment, the information received was being analysed and training programs would be established for co-ordination by the soon-to-be appointed Personnel Manager;

·; The Legal Team reported on the interference against personnel and property by former project controllers and their associates, and that the Company's response includes criminal prosecutions.

 EMED Mining Managing Director, Mr Harry Anagnostaras-Adams said:

"PRT is one of the important enterprises within the Mining District of Andalucia and the regular conduct of this Planning Commission Workshop reflects the recognition that proper co-ordination is necessary among all stakeholders. As previously reported PRT's re-opening has received widespread support and the planning and regulatory process targets production in 2011."

Notes to Editors: About EMED Mining Public Limited

EMED Mining was admitted to trading on AIM in May 2005. The Company is committed to responsible development of metal production in Europe, with a focus on copper and gold. 

The Group's region of interest are the tectonic belts spanning across Europe and over to the Middle East. The strategy is to evaluate exploration and development opportunities in several jurisdictions throughout this quality mineral belt and to promote sustainable development practices through the implementation of European Union and other international standards. The Company strictly implements its Environmental & Community Policies which includes:

·; Integrating environmental management into its business, planning and reporting processes;

·; Promoting a strong environmental ethic throughout the Company and the community;

·; Complying with, as a minimum, all applicable local and European Union laws and regulations; and

·; Communicating with community stakeholders in a responsible and transparent manner.

EMED Mining has now established a strong position in the following selected zones:

Copper in Spain: The copper-mining district of Spain is probably among the best known in the world for its metal endowment. The Company's first priority is to start-up production of its wholly-owned Rio Tinto Mine which is the largest metal deposit in Spain. The mining industry is returning to prominence in Spain's Iberian Pyrite Belt and recent initiatives include start-ups in 2009 of major base metal mines at Inmet Mining's Las Cruces Project and Iberian Minerals Aguas Teñidas Mine. Lundin Mining also operates the Aguablanca Copper-Nickel mine and Antofagasta PLC started exploration activities in 2009.

The Rio Tinto Mine site contains a fully installed and maintained operational complex - an open pit mine, copper-concentrator and waste disposal facilities. The site has been on care and maintenance since 2000 when operations were suspended due to low copper prices.

Gold in Slovakia: Exploration areas in Slovakia are centred on a cluster of volcanic centres. Low-detection geochemical methods are being applied to these areas for the first time together with bulk mining concepts for both open cut and underground projects. The Company has announced a significant gold discovery at Biely Vrch and has completed a positive scoping study on its potential development at surface and for its exploration at depth.

EMED Mining has other notable earlier-stage activities focused on copper and gold, as follows:

·; Exploration licences in the copper-mining districts of Cyprus;

·; A large mining lease in Georgia, Caucasus; and

·; A 25% shareholding in KEFI Minerals Plc which operates exploration joint ventures in Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For further information on the Company's activities, visit www.emed-mining.com or www.emed.tv