Croatia has approved the construction of a radioactive waste disposal facility located less than one kilometer [1] from the Bosnia-Herzegovina border.
The decision has sparked a diplomatic confrontation because the site sits near the Una River, a critical waterway for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local activists and government officials argue that the proximity of the waste site threatens the environmental security of the region.
The Croatian parliament voted to approve the site on May 30, 2024 [1]. The facility is intended to store low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste produced by medical facilities and the nation's nuclear power plant.
"Our parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve the project, despite the protests from our neighbours," Željko Šturanović, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, said [1].
Bosnia and Herzegovina has formally objected to the project. Nemanja Galic, legal counsel representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, said, "We cannot accept a nuclear waste dump on our doorstep; it endangers the Una River, our most precious natural resource."
The Una River spans approximately 200 km [2] within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Environmental groups in the region argue that the site poses an unacceptable risk, and fails to satisfy EU cross-border safety requirements.
Croatian officials have dismissed these concerns. Milan Bandić, the Croatian Minister of Environment, said the facility meets all EU safety standards and will be monitored continuously [1].
The project remains a point of contention between the two nations — specifically regarding the balance between Croatia's need for waste management and the ecological protection of a shared river system.
“"We cannot accept a nuclear waste dump on our doorstep; it endangers the Una River."”
This dispute highlights the friction between national infrastructure needs and international environmental obligations. Because the site is located within a kilometer of a sovereign border and a major river, the conflict may escalate from diplomatic protests to legal challenges under EU cross-border environmental impact regulations.
