Waste management and import regulations in the Balkans

Regional waste management regulations in Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasize the controlled movement of non-hazardous materials.

In Croatia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition reported that annual waste imports have stabilized at approximately 871,255 tons. The vast majority of these imports, roughly 864,000 tons, consist of non-hazardous materials such as metal, paper, cardboard, and wood used as secondary raw materials. Hazardous waste imports are significantly lower, totaling about 7,100 tons. Croatian authorities stated that imports are restricted to waste that can be processed by existing authorized facilities following environmental and health protection measures.

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, waste transport is governed by the Law on Waste Management and the Basel Convention. While the import of hazardous waste is strictly prohibited, certain non-hazardous combustible wastes, specifically Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) and Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), may be imported under specific permits. These materials are processed to serve as alternative industrial fuels for authorized entities such as Lukavac Cement d. o. o. Lukavac and Heidelberg Materials Cement BiH d. d. Poop.