Gospić hazardous waste scandal triggers political crisis in Croatia

Gospić waste scandal environmental crisis Lika hazardous waste dumping Croatian political crisis ecocide legislation

The illegal dumping of hazardous waste in Gospić has triggered a major political and environmental crisis in Croatia. Experts have confirmed the presence of dangerous substances, including PFAS compounds, in the soil and groundwater, leading to calls for the government's resignation. MP Marija Selak Raspudić has demanded an extraordinary parliamentary session and proposed introducing ecocide as a severe criminal offense to hold those responsible accountable.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition maintains that it has been actively working on remediation since the issue was brought to light by USKOK in early 2025. The Ministry stated that the remediation process was delayed due to ongoing criminal investigations and restricted access to the site. The cost for the first phase of waste removal has risen from 2.1 million to 4.72 million euros due to the complex composition of the waste.

Opposition parties, including SDP and Most, have criticized the government for systemic failures in waste management and have called for a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Udbina has denied that the materials found in its area are hazardous, claiming they are merely wood ash used for landfill covering.

Entities

Andrej Plenković · Croatian Government · Gospić · HDZ · Lika · Marija Selak Raspudić · Marija Vučković · Marin Miletić · Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition · Most · Možemo · Sandra Benčić

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] Illegal waste dumping in the Gospić area has been occurring since 2022. zadarskilist.novilist.hr · dalmatinskiportal.hr
[● 8 SOURCES] Marija Selak Raspudić has called for the resignation of the entire government due to the environmental damage in Lika. teleskop.hr · www.24sata.hr · likaclub.net.hr · kamenjar.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Dalija Orešković claimed the illegal waste problem is a matter of national security and accused the ruling party of corruption. www.tportal.hr · likaclub.net.hr · www.glasistre.hr
[● 4 SOURCES] Hazardous PFAS compounds, copper, antimony, and microplastics have been detected in the soil and groundwater. mozemo.hr · zadarskilist.novilist.hr · likaclub.net.hr
[● 10 SOURCES] Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated that remediation will follow legal public procurement procedures and not be done under political or media pressure. mojzagreb.info · www.tportal.hr · prigorski.hr · www.dalmacijanews.hr · dalmatinskiportal.hr · +1 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry sent inquiries to 32 incinerators and 30 hazardous waste landfills in Europe to find disposal options. likaclub.net.hr · dalmatinskiportal.hr
[● 3 SOURCES] The estimated cost for the waste remediation could reach 125 million euros. likaclub.net.hr · prigorski.hr
[● 8 SOURCES] MP Marija Selak Raspudić called on President Zoran Milanović to convene an extraordinary parliamentary session to address the environmental crisis. teleskop.hr · www.24sata.hr · kamenjar.com · likaclub.net.hr
[● 4 SOURCES] Approximately 37,000 tons of waste were found in Gospić, with 33,000 tons buried. mozemo.hr · likaclub.net.hr
[○ 1 SOURCE] Public water supply systems are not connected to the groundwater contaminated by the illegal landfill in Gospić. likaclub.net.hr
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Municipality of Udbina denies that the material found in the area is hazardous waste, claiming it is wood ash from RST PELLET d. o. o. likaclub.net.hr
[● 3 SOURCES] President Zoran Milanović called for answers regarding why no one has been punished for the illegal dumping of hazardous waste in Lika. www.jutarnji.hr