Croatia has violated the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees citizens the right to access information, participation in decision-making and judicial protection in environmental matters, in connection with the planned establishment of a radioactive waste storage facility on Trgovska Gora, along the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Ecology and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced.
The Federal Ministry, as the contact point for the Aarhus Convention on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has informed the Committee for the Compliance of Countries with the Provisions of this Convention through the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of the Council of Ministers of BiH.
The Ministry of Ecology and Tourism of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina states that the Committee’s recommendation was requested regarding Croatia’s compliance with the Aarhus Convention relating to the project on Trgovska Gora.
“The attached communication shows that Croatia’s actions have resulted, among other things, in inadequate access to environmental information for vulnerable residents in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the notification states.
Furthermore, as explained, these actions have limited public participation in BiH, undermining trust in the decision-making process, limiting the identification of potential environmental risks, and violating numerous other international obligations under the Aarhus Convention.
Croatia plans to store radioactive waste from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, as well as existing institutional waste, at the Trgovska Gora site in the Dvor municipality, right on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
