Bosnia and Herzegovina Minister Vows to Protect Environment Against Croatia's Nuclear Waste Plans

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stafan Kolarac, has reaffirmed his commitment to preventing Croatia's plans to build a radioactive and nuclear waste landfill at the Trgovska Gora site. This decision comes after a video conference with civil sector representatives and competent institutions highlighted the severe implications of radioactive waste disposal on the environment and public health. Minister Kolarac expressed concern that the current dynamic with Croatia would leave Bosnia and Herzegovina with limited time to react, citing the need for a more substantial period under the ESPOO Convention for environmental impact assessment.

Key Takeaways:

• Minister Stafan Kolarac has reiterated his determination to stop Croatia's plans to build a radioactive and nuclear waste landfill at Trgovska Gora.
• The primary goal is to protect public health and the environment from the hazardous effects of radioactive waste disposal.
• Deputy Chairperson Bisera Turkovic's decision not to allow the expert team formation on the agenda is considered "unacceptable and politically incorrect" by Kolarac.
• The ESPOO Convention stipulates a 1-month window for environmental impact assessment, which Kolarac believes is a too-short period to respond to new situations.
• A session of the Coordination Body for Radioactive Waste and Used Nuclear Fuel Disposal at Trgovska Gora is scheduled to take place next week, to be attended by the BiH Presidency and other stakeholders.
• The Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, entity, and local unit parliaments have previously made decisions regarding the Trgovska gora issue.

Statistics:

• 1 month: The timeframe allotted for environmental impact assessment under the ESPOO Convention.
• 1: The number of opportunities allowed for Bosnia and Herzegovina to react under the ESPOO Convention.

Sources:

• No external source mentioned.