Zagreb - The Sabor on Friday rejected four conclusions proposed by President Zoran Milanović over illegally dumped waste in Lika, while adopting 11 conclusions put forward by the ruling majority.
The proposals, moved by the ruling majority, were passed by 81 votes to 58, and they call on the government to submit a report to parliament within 90 days on progress in remediating the waste site in Gospić, including measures taken, deadlines, costs, environmental monitoring results, potential risks and next steps.
They also call for continuous monitoring of water, soil and air in the Gospić area before, during and after remediation, tighter monitoring of waste sites and waste flows, particularly at high-risk locations, and greater efforts by local authorities to prevent illegal dumping.
Parliament also "strongly condemns" illegal waste-related activities in Gospić and supports planned amendments to the Criminal Code and Waste Management Act.
Opposition MPs criticised the ruling majority’s conclusions, saying they offered no concrete solution or deadlines for remediating the illegal waste site.
Milanović’s four proposals had called for the immediate start of permanent remediation of the Gospić hazardous-waste site and continuous monitoring of groundwater and other environmental changes; a meeting with local residents and civic groups within three days; the appointment of the State Inspectorate’s chief state inspector within 15 days; and inspections of all Croatian waste sites suspected of containing hazardous or illegally dumped waste, with a report to parliament within three months.
The topic was discussed during the two-day extraordinary parliamentary session, which was convened at President Milanović's request to discuss the illegal waste dumping in Lika.
Behaviour of county prefect
Earlier on Friday, IDS MP Dalibor Paus and Centar MP Marijana Puljak also criticised the ruling party over what they called hypocrisy following the publication of videos of Lika-Senj County Prefect Ernest Petry.
"They are demanding the county prefect's accountability for partying in a café, but not for the failure of the waste-management system," Paus said.
Puljak said Petry was being asked to resign over a song and a party, while "no one is responsible" for the 10,000 tonnes of hazardous waste buried in the county.
MP Damir Biloglav said the Domino (the Home and National Rally party) and Croatian Sovereignists group would support both the ruling coalition’s and opposition’s conclusions, as both contained useful proposals.
SDSS MP Anja Šimpraga said greater awareness of environmental protection was needed, noting similar cases in Benkovac, Gračac and Lovinac.
Government given 90 days to report on remediation
The conclusions, backed by the ruling coalition, call on the government to submit a report to parliament within 90 days on progress in remediating the Gospić site, including measures taken, deadlines, costs, environmental monitoring results, potential risks and next steps.
The government and relevant public health institutes are also urged to ensure continuous monitoring of water, soil and air in the Gospić area before, during and after remediation.
Opposition proposals and the conclusions put forward by President Zoran Milanović failed to secure enough votes in the 151-seat national legislature.
Under proposals by the SDP and We Can!, the government would have been required to initiate urgent measures under the Environmental Protection Act, with remediation carried out by a third party at the polluter’s expense and backed by an advance from the state budget.
The proposals also called for an immediate impermeable cover over the buried waste to prevent leaching, and an expert panel to prepare a remediation programme involving state authorities, local government, civic groups and independent experts.
Health institutions would also have been tasked with assessing the potential impact on human health in areas at risk of exposure.
A proposal by MP Marija Selak Raspudić to place amendments to the Criminal Code on the agenda during the first seven days of the next parliamentary session was also rejected.
Ahead of the vote, Gospić Mayor Darko Milinović arrived at parliament but was not allowed to attend the session. Parliament’s secretary said Milinović had submitted a request that morning, but that the legal conditions for granting it had not been met.