MINING IN
SKOURIES

DOES ELDORADO GOLD REALLY GENERATE INCOME FOR GREECE?

PUBLIC MEETING
1st November 2014 | 10am - 3pm
Vasileos Georgiou & Tritis Septemvriou
City Hall - Thessaloniki
ORGANIZED BY
SUPPORTED BY
WHAT WILL MINING CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMY?
WILL ELDORADO GOLD PAY TAXES?
WILL GREECE BENEFIT FROM THIS PROJECT?

In Skouries, Chalkidiki and several other sites in northern Greece, there are plans for gigantic ore mining projects with severe consequences for these regions’ environment, economy and society.

    SKOURIES
  • - Rich primary forest
  • - Source of clean water
  • - Aristotle’s homeland
  • - Agriculture and tourism-based economy
    MINING
  • - Destruction of the forest
  • - Water depletion and contamination
  • - Toxic dust and waste
  • - An activity that preempts all others

It is often claimed that mining companies generate tax revenues and jobs.

BUT DO THEY?

Canadian company Eldorado Gold has mining plans of pharaonic proportions in Northern Greece. Its direct parent is a Dutch mailbox company. This triggered an investigation by Amsterdam-based research centre SOMO into possible tax avoidance by Eldorado Gold and subsidies it receives from the state. This is a common issue in other parts of the world. In Zambia, campaigners have exposed that only two of eight foreign mining companies have reported any profits for years.

WHO BENEFITS AND WHO LOSES FROM MINING IN GREECE?
SOMO's research shows that ELDORADO GOLD'S PROFITS ARE SHIFTED OUT OF GREECE TO BARBADOS

The preliminary findings of SOMO’s report, titled Eldorado Gold: The role of Dutch mailbox companies in tax avoidance and human rights violations in Greece will be presented in this Public Meeting.*

The presentation will be followed by workshops.

* The full report will be published in December.

PROGRAMME

(The programme is still subject to modification)

10:00 - 12:00 | Public debate on discussion paper
Introduction round. How did this report come about? Katrin McGauran, SOMO Eldorado in Greece and the campaign against its mining operations Greek activist, tbd Explanation of the findings: Is Eldorado Gold dodging taxes in Greece? Indra Römgens, SOMO Canadian mining companies and human rights Jamie Kneen, MiningWatch Canada Extractive industry impacts and lack of financial contribution to the countries of the South Patrick Kryticous Nshindano, ActionAid Zambia
13:00 - 15:00 | Open Workshops
Public loss of the extractives industry Indra Römgens, SOMO (facilitator)
Patrick Kryticous Nshindano, ActionAid Zambia
James Mitchell, University Bristol How to fight mega mining projects Katrin McGauran, SOMO (facilitator)
Roxana (Save Rosia Montana campaign)
Jamie Kneen, MiningWatch Canada How to (use) research to fight corporate misconduct Roos van Os, SOMO (facilitator)
Christina, Corporate Watch (not confirmed)

Languages: Greek/English (translation will be available).

Organized by Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO Amsterdam) and Hellenic Mining Watch.

With speakers from Jubilee South - APMDD (Philippines) - ActionAid Zambia - Mining Watch Canada.