A protest by dissatisfied citizens was held today in Zagreb, organized by the Civic Initiative “Gospić is Our Home”, concerning the failure to resolve the problem of hazardous waste in Gospić. The aim was to put pressure on the competent state authorities to respond urgently in order to carry out the remediation.
In addition to people from Lika, environmental organizations from various parts of Croatia, facing the same or similar environmental problems, also responded to the protest.
Demands Addressed to the Government of the Republic of Croatia
The following demands concerning Gospić were presented at the protest:
- Within 20 days, the Government should present to the public a comprehensive remediation programme with clearly defined and binding deadlines.
- Within three months, remove the 33,000 tonnes of buried waste from the Gospić area.
- Include the municipal landfill “Rakitovac” in the Waste Management Plan.
- Establish long-term and comprehensive monitoring, with the engagement of independent experts who would prepare a monitoring plan and conduct an independent risk assessment.
The following demands concerning Croatia as a whole were also presented:
- Introduce collective protection into the Environmental Protection Act.
- Include all known “black spots” in the Waste Management Plan, with clearly defined remediation deadlines and financial frameworks.
- Immediately introduce a temporary ban on the import of waste, i.e. a ban that would remain in force until further notice.
The Jadova Initiative – What Did We Miss?
We have already written about this Initiative on these pages, in the article of 1 February 2026 – “Controversies (?) Surrounding the Protection of the Jadova River and Its River Basin.”
The Initiative for the Protection of the Jadova River and Its River Basin was rejected by the Association’s Management Board in its Decision of 23 January 2026 (attachment: ASSOCIATION – Decisions).
The reasoning states that “the Jadova River and its catchment area are already included in the NATURA 2000 ecological network” … and that “the special status of the ecological network of the Jadova River, as well as that of Ličko Polje, which currently exists, is entirely sufficient provided that regulations are complied with,” along with other formal reasons that do not address the substance of the problem.
In light of today’s event, which certainly also concerns our own area, the question arises as to whether, by taking such a position, the Management Board was attempting to formally shield itself and avoid social engagement, thereby avoiding demonstrating social responsibility (and even courage), despite the fact that Article 9 of the Statute clearly states that the Association achieves its purpose and objectives, among other things, through “Contributing to the restoration and sustainable development of the Vrebac area.”
After all, the fact that Gospić, just like the Vrebac area and the Jadova River basin, is included in the NATURA 2000 ecological network did not help Gospić either. This demonstrates that the existence of a formal regulation does not in itself guarantee actual protection, with the lesson that we must also take care of our own area ourselves, following the proverb: “Trust, but verify.”
Therefore, the question arises – did we miss the opportunity to launch the Initiative in a timely manner, as much as a year ago?
That is something we really could have done, without prejudging whether it would have succeeded.
If we are late, perhaps it is still not too late!