Minister Košarac and Ambassador Sabolić Talked on The Construction of The Disputed Landfill at Trgovska Gora Site

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Staša Košarac, talked today in Sarajevo with the Ambassador of Croatia to BiH, Ivan Sabolić, about the country's intention to build a radioactive and nuclear waste disposal at the Trgovska Gora site, near the border with BiH.

 

Minister Košarac initiated an emergency meeting with Ambassador Sabolić after information emerged in public that the Croatian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy had given the location of the former military warehouse in Čerkezovac in the Dvor municipality to the Fund for Financing the Decommissioning and Disposal of Radioactive Waste of the Nuclear Power Plant “Krško”.

 

At today's meeting, Ambassador Sabolić officially informed Minister Košarac that the relevant Ministry of Croatia had ceded the location in question to the Fund in order to prepare an Environmental impact study, and that investigative works, zero radiological status and security analyzes would be conducted as a basis for the study.

 

It was pointed out that Croatia is committed to respecting the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (ESPOO), which, among other things, undertakes to cooperate with all stakeholders, in this case with BiH. Accordingly, BiH will provide its comments based on its expert capacity in the preparation phase of the environmental impact study.

 

At today's meeting, it was pointed out that it is necessary for Minister Košarac and the Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy of Croatia, Tomislav Ćorić, to get in touch as soon as possible in order to further consider the issue of possible construction of a landfill at Trgovska gora site. In this regard, it was agreed that the two relevant ministers would hold a telephone or meeting via Skype next week, taking into account the current epidemiological situation caused by the spread of the coronavirus.

 

Minister Košarac and Ambassador Sabolić emphasized the commitment to good bilateral relations between BiH and Croatia, and pointed out the need for further development of cooperation and good neighborly relations.

 

Minister Košarac reiterated his, but also the official position of the relevant institutions at all levels of government in BiH, that the eventual construction of a radioactive and nuclear waste disposal on Trgovska Gora is completely unacceptable, because it would endanger the health of 250,000 inhabitants in 13 municipalities in the Una River Basin, and had a negative impact on the environment.

 

He pointed out that, in accordance with the conclusions of the relevant institutions in BiH, he will work on proving the harmfulness of the construction of the disputed facility on Trgovska gora, and that he will request all institutions in BiH to be active and mobilized in seeking arguments in favor of the official position.

 

Minister Košarac emphasized that he would insist on the formation of a legal-expert team that will deal with this issue, in accordance with the conclusions of the meeting he had in February with the entities’ ministers in charge of environmental protection and representatives of the parliamentary group "Green Club",  Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety of BiH and municipalities mayors in the Una River Basin.