ZAGREB, March 22, 2019 – The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday decided to ask Croatian authorities to give up their plan to build a radioactive waste storage site at Trgovska Gora, near Dvor, a town on the River Una on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, announcing that it would internationalise the problem in order to protect the country’s interests.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina is asking the Republic of Croatia not to designate Trgovska Gora, a location in the municipality of Dvor, on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the storage of radioactive and nuclear waste and to find on its territory another adequate location for that purpose, which is not near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina,” reads a conclusion adopted by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.
A press release said Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik would send a letter to Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to formally inform her of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s request.
The Presidency also entrusted the Foreign Ministry to inform through its diplomatic and consular network EU member states and international organisations specialising in environmental protection of the issue and of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s position.
Trgovska Gora, that is, the former Čerkezovac barracks located there, is one of the sites that are being considered as a location for the disposal of radioactive waste from the Krško nuclear power plant, which Croatia owns and operates with Slovenia.
Croatia’s national programme for the implementation of a strategy for the management of radioactive waste has been submitted to the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), which is expected to evaluate it, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is seeking guarantees that the programme will not have a negative impact on the country.
Bosnia and Herzegovina municipalities that are located on the border with Croatia and gravitate towards the River Una fear that radioactive waste from Trgovska Gora would pollute the environment on both sides of the border and harm the health of local residents.
More news on the relations between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina can be found in the Politics section.
