Administrative Court of Toulouse rules to cancel the Couflens PER - French State to appeal the decision
(firmenpresse) - - Administrative Court rules to cancel Couflens PER due to a number of process errors in the granting of the Couflens PER by the French State
- French State will appeal the decision as it firmly believes the Couflens PER was originally issued in accordance with the Mining Code
- French State has issued a public statement (appended to this announcement) defending the Couflens PER and highlighting the importance of the project to the Ariege region and to securing tungsten supplies
- The Company will strongly defend its position and will immediately consider the range of options available to it in relation to the adverse Court verdict
4 July 2019 - Apollo Minerals Limited (Apollo Minerals or Company) reports that the Administrative Court of Toulouse has ruled to cancel the Couflens exploration license in France (Couflens PER) that was granted to a French subsidiary of the Company in 2016. The Couflens PER includes the historical Salau tungsten mine.
The decision was issued following a Court hearing held earlier in June (see ASX announcement on 11 June 2019) and all work on site is required to stop immediately.
The court case was lodged by a group of opposition parties against the French State (specifically the Ministry of Economy and Finance which is responsible for the mining sector). As the legal challenge was against the French State, the Company was an interested party and was not directly involved in the proceedings although it did provide supporting arguments for the French State in the defence of the case.
The Company is extremely disappointed that the Court has reached this decision, despite the strong evidence in favour of maintaining the validity of the Couflens PER which was presented by the Head of the Mining Department of the French State during the Court hearing. The Courts have interpreted certain provisions within the Mining Code in a manner that is contrary to the well-established application of the Mining Code by the Mining Department.
The French State has confirmed that it will appeal the decision of the Administrative Court and will also apply for a stay of execution of the judgment. If a stay of execution of the judgement were to be successful, work could continue on the mine site during the appeal process.
As per the attached press statement by the French State (refer to pages 3 and 4 of this announcement), the appeal will be filed with the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal within two months.
The French State has commented that: Given the importance of this project for the vitality of the Salat valley in Ariège and the security of tungsten supplies, a stay of execution of the cancellation decision will also be requested.
The French State then went on to comment that: It will be demonstrated that Variscan Mines [Apollo Minerals French subsidiary] had, at the time the permit was granted, the financial capacity to carry out the research work and to fulfil its obligations to protect the environment and the health of workers during exploration work pursuant to Article L. 122-2 of the Mining Code.
Since the granting of the Couflens PER, Apollo Minerals has assembled a high-quality French operating team, made substantial technical advances which have clearly demonstrated the significant exploration potential of the project area, and completed major enhancements to surface and underground infrastructure at the Salau mine.
Through its efforts to stimulate the local economy, create local employment and to communicate openly and transparently with all local stakeholders, the Company has also gained strong support among the local population for the development of the project. A Cooperation Agreement in relation to the Couflens PER was approved by the formal body representing 94 local communities at its general assembly two weeks ago, providing a strong framework for support for the project.
The Company will strongly defend its position and will immediately consider the range of options available to it in relation to the adverse Court verdict.
Management have met the French State to determine the appropriate next steps to defend its position.
The Company will update the market on any material developments.
For further information contact:
Hugo Schumann
Tel: +44 207 478 3900
Robert Behets
Tel: +61 8 9322 6322
Email: info(at)apollominerals.com
To view entire original news, including press release by French Ministry of Economy and Finance, please follow the link:
https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20190704/pdf/446cqsqfmvl980.pdf
Themen in dieser Pressemitteilung:
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
" alt="Sirona Biochem Releases CEO Letter to Shareholders">
" alt="CRU Upgrades Base-Case Demand Forecast for 4n+ HPA to 17.9% CAGR, 2018-28">
Datum: 04.07.2019 - 02:58 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1550447
Anzahl Zeichen: 4203
contact information:
Contact person:
Town:
Wien
Phone:
Kategorie:
Business News
Typ of Press Release:
type of sending:
Date of sending:
Anmerkungen:
Diese Pressemitteilung wurde bisher 450 mal aufgerufen.
Die Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel:
"Administrative Court of Toulouse rules to cancel the Couflens PER - French State to appeal the decision
"
steht unter der journalistisch-redaktionellen Verantwortung von
Apollo Minerals Limited (Nachricht senden)
Beachten Sie bitte die weiteren Informationen zum Haftungsauschluß (gemäß TMG - TeleMedianGesetz) und dem Datenschutz (gemäß der DSGVO).
