- Aura Energy (AEE) claims a recent rejection by the Industry Committee of the Swedish parliament of a number of motions to lift a ban on uranium mining in the country is not indicative of the government’s true position
- From AEE’s understanding, private member’s motions are routinely rejected on procedural points of order
- As such, the company says this doesn’t represent any change of policy or direction by the government, which has voiced its support to lift the ban on uranium mining
- On the same day as the rejections, AEE says Sweden’s Minister of Energy and Enterprise Ebba Busch made supportive comments regarding uranium in parliament
- AEE shares are up 10.2 per cent and trading at 26 cents at midday AEST
Aura Energy (AEE) has claimed a recent rejection by the Industry Committee of the Swedish parliament of a number of motions to lift a ban on uranium mining in the country is not indicative of the government’s true position.
The Industry Committee of the Swedish parliament knocked back the motions, but AEE said this “does not represent any change of policy or direction by the government, which has repeated its support to lift the ban on uranium mining”.
“Individual members of parliament can and do submit their own motions and suggestions, but these are routinely rejected on procedural points of order, even if they are aligned with the Government’s stated policy objectives,” the company told investors on Tuesday.
The uranium ban came into effect on August 1, 2018, when a new provision was introduced into the Environmental Code and Minerals Act.
AEE owns the Haggan vanadium-uranium project in Sweden, where a consultancy group is liaising with the government and stakeholders.
In November last year, the new, centre-right coalition lodged a motion to revert the code to its original wording, which would permit uranium mining again.
On the same day that the Industry Committee rejected the motions, the country’s Minister of Energy and Enterprise, Ebba Busch, said in parliament that there has been an ideological stance against uranium mining in Sweden that has been wrong.
“We need to take advantage of the natural resources that we have in our country,” a translation of Ms Busch’s comments read.
“It is not possible to have such high climate goals as Sweden has and at the same time safeguard economic growth, growing welfare, competitiveness, that more companies will grow and grow and that more Swedish mothers and fathers should have a job to go to unless we take advantage of what is available in the producing parts of the country.”
AEE shares were up 10.2 per cent and trading at 26 cents at midday AEST.