Local communities protest mining and quarrying projects in Bosnia and Croatia

Local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia are organizing against planned resource extraction projects.

In the Ozren region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, residents of Sočkovac and Petrovo are protesting the commencement of geological exploration by Yugo Metals Limited. The company has reportedly leased three private plots to begin drilling platforms, access roads, and soil testing for nickel and cobalt. Local environmental group ‘Ozrenski studenac’ and residents claim the company has not fulfilled legal obligations to notify the Petrovo municipality eight days prior to work. Residents have requested institutional measures to ban detailed geological research in the area.

In Delnica, Croatia, Mayor Igor Pleše has announced that amendments to the Spatial Plan will begin in late October to support citizens opposing the ‘Ciganska dražica’ quarry. The initiative follows significant public opposition regarding noise, dust, and the impact of heavy truck traffic on the ‘Damski most’ area. Local authorities confirmed that the disputed quarry is not defined in higher-level spatial plans, allowing the municipality the legal autonomy to remove it from local planning documentation.