KOŠARAC SENDS PROTEST NOTE DEMANDING IMMEDIATE HALT TO ACTIVITIES AT ČERKEZOVAC

SARAJEVO, JUNE 27 /SRNA/ - Staša Košarac, Council of Ministers Deputy Chair and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, sent an official protest note today to the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, demanding the immediate halt of all activities at the Čerkezovac site on Trgovska Gora.

The protest note results from coordinated efforts by the Expert and Legal Teams and competent institutions at all levels of government in BiH. Košarac told SRNA that the immediate reason for the protest note was information from the Fund for Financing Decommissioning and Disposal of Radioactive Waste from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, which confirmed that dismantling of facilities has begun at the former military storage complex Čerkezovac, to prepare the site for a radioactive waste disposal centre on Trgovska Gora located directly on the border with BiH. "These activities have caused serious concern and justified fear among our residents and institutions, given the project's direct and long-term impact on the environment and human health in the border areas of BiH," Košarac stated. He emphasized that the fact these activities were launched before the publication of an Environmental Impact Assessment Study is especially troubling. This, he said, is not only contrary to the basic principles of responsible radioactive waste management but also a blatant violation of Croatia's international obligations, particularly the ESPOOo Convention on cross boundary environmental impacts. "We have highlighted a series of activities that Croatia has carried out in a non-transparent manner, in violation of international law and environmental conventions, while ignoring our requests," Košarac explained. He underscored that, contrary to the obligations of the ESPOO and Aarhus Conventions, which require ecological information to be accessible to the competent authorities and the affected public, BiH has not been officially notified of the start of activities at Čerkezovac, nor involved in any formal communication process. "We demand that Croatia immediately halt all construction activities at Čerkezovac, including dismantling of buildings and all preparatory activities related to establishing the radioactive waste disposal centre. We also demand that BiH be urgently included in all relevant procedures related to the Čerkezovac project, in accordance with the ESPOO Convention, including the mandatory cross-border environmental impact assessment," said Košarac. The protest note also requests that Croatia urgently publish, in an appropriate manner, all relevant information about the possible cross boundary impact of the project, as well as any conducted studies, and properly inform the public in BiH in line with the Aarhus Convention. It also calls for full transparency and information exchange, including with BiH's competent bodies, non-governmental organisations, and citizens. Additionally, Košarac demands the establishment of a joint monitoring and management body for this issue with BiH, in accordance with the ESPOO Convention. "If Croatia does not immediately comply fully with our demands, we will use all available legal and diplomatic means to protect our interests in accordance with international law," Košarac stressed.