Croatia’s parliament has passed a law enabling construction of a radioactive waste facility near the Bosnian border. A total of 134 deputies voted on the Law with 77 in favour, 36 abstentions and 21 against. The site will store waste from the Krško NPP and Croatian medical facilities, despite years of opposition from communities in Bosnia.
The law provides the regulatory basis for building a facility at Čerkezovac on Trgovska Gora to store waste from the Krško plant, which Croatia co-owns with Slovenia, as well as radioactive waste from Croatian hospitals and industry. The facility at the former army barracks site near the border with Bosnia is intended to store this waste temporarily for 40 years before permanent disposal is available.
Under a bilateral agreement with Slovenia, Croatia must take responsibility for disposing of half of the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste generated by Krško, which began operating in 1983.
The law establishes spatial planning requirements and conditions for implementing the project, Croatia’s parliament said. Croatia must now conduct an environmental impact assessment before construction can begin.
The municipal head of the Bosnian town of Novi Grad, Miroslav Drljača has repeatedly stated that his municipality considering a lawsuit over the matter. Local communities in Bosnia have sent a letter to Croatian lawmakers warning the law would allow Croatia to bypass international environmental obligations. Bosnian authorities claim the legislation contravenes the Espoo Convention and other international agreements that require affected neighbouring countries to be consulted.
The Croatian authorities argue that their choice of the radioactive waste deposit as safe and the only viable alternative. The Čerkezovac location has been designated as a potential radioactive waste site in Croatian spatial plans since 1999.
Croatian authorities say the 60-hectare former military complex, located in an uninhabited area 5 kilometres from the nearest town, offers existing infrastructure suitable for the facility.
Croatia plans to begin receiving waste from Slovenia in early 2028, according to officials. The country currently stores small amounts of institutional radioactive waste from medical, industrial and research activities at scattered locations.
