BiH Sends Croatia Remarks on Environmental Impact Study for Trgovska Gora Waste

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Staša Košarac, announced that BiH today sent Croatia a response with demands and remarks on the Request for Environmental Impact Study for radioactive waste disposal at the Čerkezovac location on Trgovska Gora.

- We have done our part and today, within the defined deadline, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH, we sent a response to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia.

We also delivered the response to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of Republika Srpska, as the contact point for the Espoo Convention, which will also inform the Secretariat of this convention about it - said Košarac.

He emphasized that the response was prepared by members of the Legal and Expert Team for Trgovska Gora, in coordination with the competent entity bodies, focusing on specific examples where Croatia violates the provisions of the Espoo Convention and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Management.

- Our experts and lawyers, in cooperation with representatives of the institutions of Republika Srpska, the Federation of BiH, and Brčko District, as well as the non-governmental sector, have reacted adequately and prepared a comprehensive response with a series of remarks on the content of the environmental impact study - stated Košarac.

He added that the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH will continue to regularly inform the Council of Ministers of BiH about all undertaken activities, and will regularly provide the competent institutions in Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH with the requested data and information regarding the resolution of the issue of building the controversial landfill on Trgovska Gora.

- This is a key issue on which there is a unified stance of institutions at all levels of government in BiH. We strongly oppose the disposal of waste in close proximity to the border and will not give up our efforts to prevent Croatia from doing so - Košarac announced.

He also stated that all competent institutions have been mobilized in this regard and that there are adequate expert capacities for it.

- Today we have completed a certain part of the work, but we are continuing with the planned activities - he said.

He also emphasizes that Croatia's intention to build the controversial landfill on Trgovska Gora represents a serious act of jeopardizing bilateral relations with BiH, and expressed hope that, based on expert analyses and discussions, as well as diplomatic activities, a solution will be found in the interest of the people living in the Una River basin.