ZAGREB, April 4, 2019 – Omišalj Mayor Mirela Ahmetović on Wednesday commented on the latest ruling by the Administrative Court rejecting the municipality’s lawsuit questioning the changes made to the development permit for a floating LNG terminal on Krk, saying that the municipality would appeal and that it and its residents would turn to European judicial bodies and institutions.
Ahmetović told a press conference that the court had rejected the municipality’s lawsuit against the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning questioning the legality of the development permit issued for the floating LNG terminal.
Ahmetović said that the municipality would appeal the court’s decision and added that considering the developments to date concerning the terminal, she did not expect the court would have decided differently.
“We have initiated communication with the European Commission and European Parliament and are preparing to take the matter to European judicial institutions,” she said and added that the government had not once turned to the local community and the prime minister and president “have not set foot in Omišalj municipality where the so-called strategic project is to be implemented.”
Ahmetović claimed that the state wants to “install something (in Omišalj) that wasn’t considered even in the craziest scenario” by the municipality or county. She added that it never happened that the EU financed a project that an entire local community objected to, as is the case with the local community on Krk island.
Ahemtović said that county and municipal physical plans exist. There is also a development strategy that mentions an LNG terminal, and the development strategy refers to an onshore terminal and not offshore.
County Prefect Zlatko Komadina said that the local community was not opposed to an LNG terminal but wanted it to be built on shore.
“It is absurd that instead of an onshore terminal, as provided for under the physical plan, we are facing aggression with a floating terminal that no one here wants,” Komadina concluded, appealing to state authorities to work on the project in agreement with the regional and local community.
More news about the LNG terminal can be found in the Business section.
