Bačić: Proceedings underway to declare building permit for HPP on Una null and void

(Patria) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction and State Property of Croatia Branko Bačić reported today that proceedings are underway to declare the final building permit for the construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the Una River null and void.

- Proceedings are underway to declare the final permit null and void, meaning it would have no legal consequences - Bačić told reporters.

However, he warned that caution is needed because this decision will be subject to review tomorrow or the day after at the Administrative Court or elsewhere.

Because of this, he stated, they hold daily meetings with Croatian Waters, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, and the State Inspectorate to identify and examine all circumstances that could lead to the building permit being declared null and void, in order to resolve the fate of this project.

He recalled that his ministry conducted a review of the issued and final building permit, which was adopted by the competent administrative body of Zadar County, whose branch office is in Gračac, and they identified numerous deficiencies in the building permit itself.

He also stated that, regarding the revocation or annulment of the building permit, the ministry was limited by the expiration of the period since the final permit became legally binding.

He reminded that the State Inspectorate, based on the review conducted by the Institute for Nature Protection of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, suspended works because the procedure for a preliminary assessment of the acceptability of the construction of this hydroelectric plant on the ecological network had not been carried out.

Furthermore, the findings established that the works at the source of the Una are causing damage to nature, i.e., to the source itself, and that the operation of the hydro plant would cause even greater damage.

Bačić emphasized that this project became part of the spatial plans of Zadar County and the municipality of Gračac ten years ago, went through all necessary procedures, and faced no criticism at the time.

- Because there were no dissenting voices then and because that plan entered into force and became legally binding, it served as the basis for issuing the building permit.

However, the building permit itself contained serious omissions that would have immediately revoked it had it not become final and had two years not passed since its finality - he explained.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Marija Vučković said they want nature to be restored to its original state and expressed confidence that this is possible.

The Nature Protection Inspectorate of the State Inspectorate announced yesterday that it had initiated administrative proceedings against the investor of the hydroelectric plant on the Una River, in which the investor was prohibited by a decision from carrying out actions and works on the construction of the small hydroelectric plant, with a capacity of 160 kW, "Una-mlin".