The Appeals Commission set up to examine the appeal from the Euromax Resources mining company ordered that the planned Ilovica copper mine will not be built.

With this decision by the Commission, the road is now clear to withdraw the concession Euromax Resources received to open and operate the mine in the copper rich hills close to Strumica. Environmentalist groups from the region rejoiced at the news. They have been campaigning against the mine for years.

On the other hand, the decision can also expose Macedonia to pay huge damages to the Canadian company. Former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski warned that the blow from the cancellation of this and a few other projects could amount to 1.5 billion EUR.