Selak Raspudic: "The shadow of the eternal Inspector Mikulic still watches over the Inspectorate.

Marija Selak Raspudić, a member of parliament for the Drito party, emphasized during her appearance on N1 television's program Novi dan that Croatia must take decisive legal action against environmental destruction, calling for the criminalization of ecocide as the harshest penalty for environmental harm. She addressed concerns over the ecological disaster in Lika, highlighting the need for a clear and time-bound cleanup plan rather than vague promises. The parliamentary committee on environmental protection will hold an extraordinary session in Gospić, where she expects concrete legislative steps to be taken. Selak Raspudić criticized the government’s previous reluctance to adopt legislation aimed at protecting the environment, noting that despite her earlier proposals being ignored, the current process offers a unique opportunity to send a political message against any threats to Croatia’s natural heritage. She argued that the recent decision to delay the committee meeting was reasonable, given the growing public pressure surrounding the Lika incident. However, she stressed that the turning point had been the release of a report by the State Environmental Inspectorate, which raised questions about why it was made public after initially being withheld. The former head of the State Environmental Inspectorate, Andrija Mikulić of the HDZ party, was mentioned as a figure whose influence continues to loom over the institution, even though there is still no permanent leadership in place. Selak Raspudić suggested this might indicate that the inspectorate is not fully controlled by political interests, describing it as a state within a state. She pointed out that the issue of hazardous waste in Lika has opened a Pandora’s box of similar problems at other locations across the country. Despite border controls, she noted that tens of thousands of tons of dangerous waste have entered Croatia over the years. This, she explained, stems from a lack of systematic monitoring of such waste and raises questions about the companies responsible for its disposal abroad. These entities, she claimed, likely bypassed procedures through informal arrangements with local institutions, suggesting a chain of complicity involving both foreign and domestic authorities. Selak Raspudić highlighted how the situation reflects a systemic failure in tracking hazardous waste, with the methods used to transport it into Croatia remaining largely unknown. She questioned whether foreign companies were aware that Croatia lacked the capacity to manage such waste properly, implying that some level of negligence or deliberate avoidance of regulations occurred. Her remarks underscored the complexity of the issue, pointing to a network of potentially illegal or semi-legal practices that allowed the waste to enter the country unchecked. The parliamentary committee session in Gospić represents a critical moment for addressing these issues, according to Selak Raspudić. She expressed hope that the discussion would lead to stronger legal measures and greater accountability for those responsible for environmental damage. The focus on ecocide as a potential new offense could mark a significant shift in Croatian environmental policy, reflecting broader European trends toward stricter environmental protections. The revelations about hazardous waste in Lika have sparked renewed interest in the management of industrial waste across Croatia. With the inspectorate lacking a clear leadership structure, questions remain about how effectively the country can monitor and control the flow of such materials. Selak Raspudić called for transparency in the handling of these matters, emphasizing the need for institutional reforms to prevent future incidents. As the parliamentary committee prepares for its session, the outcome will depend on the willingness of lawmakers to act decisively. The debate over ecocide as a legal category could set a precedent for how seriously environmental crimes are treated in Croatia. Meanwhile, the investigation into the origins of the hazardous waste in Lika continues, with more information expected to emerge in the coming days.