Sabor rejects President's conclusions on Gospić waste crisis

Parliament has concluded a contentious two-day special session on the illegally dumped hazardous waste in Gospić, with the conclusions proposed by President Zoran Milanović and the opposition rejected and those put forward by the parliamentary majority adopted.

The session, initiated by Milanović, began on Thursday and continued until 3:30 a.m. The second day ended this afternoon.

Under the conclusions adopted by the parliamentary majority, the Government must submit a report within 90 days on progress in cleaning up the Gospić site. It is also tasked with continuing to monitor water, soil and air quality in the area and increasing oversight of waste disposal sites, waste flows and high-risk locations. Local governments are being urged to step up efforts to prevent illegal dumping.

The opposition criticized the outcome, saying the adopted conclusions would do little to resolve the situation in Gospić.

Milanović had called for the swift removal of the 37,000 tons of hazardous waste illegally dumped at a former industrial site, continuous monitoring of pollutants in groundwater and regular public updates on the situation.

He also called for a chief state inspector to be appointed within 15 days, for the Government to meet with environmental activists within three days, and for inspectors to immediately begin checking waste sites across Croatia where there is reasonable suspicion that hazardous materials may have been dumped.

Those proposals, as well as similar conclusions put forward by the SDP and Možemo, were rejected. Parliament also rejected a proposal by independent MP Marija Selak Raspudić to introduce the crime of ecocide into the Penal Code.

The two days of debate did little to bridge the divide between the government and opposition benches.

Most MP Zvonimir Troskot accused the Government of allowing Croatia to become "Europe's garbage dump," while criticizing what he described as the Prime Minister's apathy, the President's lack of interest and the Environment Minister's lack of competence.

"Who can guarantee that right now there aren't trucks coming into the country, sent by companies that are taking advantage of this situation to dump their waste at new, unregulated waste sites across the country?" Troskot said.

HDZ MP Josip Đakić accused the opposition of fearmongering.

"Our colleagues are spreading lies, fear and panic," Đakić said.

The debate also featured personal attacks. HDZ MP Mato Franković accused SDP leader Siniša Hajdaš Dončić of hypocrisy, saying he had been "one of the biggest proponents of illegal waste dumping in Lika."

"It takes the slightest bit of common sense to understand who is responsible for this and how to fix it," Hajdaš Dončić responded.

Gospić Mayor Darko Milinović was not allowed to take part in the parliamentary debate. Speaking to reporters, he said he hoped the first trucks would soon arrive to begin removing the waste from the Gospić site.