Experts against disposing of radioactive waste on Trgovska gora

A scientific symposium with international participation, “Trgovska gora – proposed location for deponing radioactive waste,” was held on 10 December 2025 in the Republic of Srpska Academy of Science and Art (ANURS), with participation of many academic staff of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Banja Luka, and representatives of relevant institutions.

The participants presented 23 scientific papers as in response to Croatia, which plans to deposit radioactive waste at the location of Trgovska gora, at the very border with BiH. The symposium presented scientific, technical, and legal arguments that additionally strengthen the position of the Republic of Srpska, stating that a depository warehouse of radioactive waste must not be built at Trgovska gora, in the immediate vicinity of the (state) border.

The Minister for Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, Bojan Vipotnik, said that, along with technical and field research, the symposium also presented the positions of science and technical experts, additionally reaffirming the Republic of Srpska and BiH arguments against the proposed location.

“We are arguing technically, scientifically, and legally, why an object of that type should not be constructed in Trgovska gora”, said Vipotnik. 

The President of ANURS, Academician Prof. Dragoljub Mirjanić, pointed out that Trgovska gora is a regional, ecological, and security challenge, hence, it is important that a scientifically and legally sound message is sent from this conference.

Member of the Experts’ team for Trgovska gora, Nemanja Galić, said that Croatia looks at this issue exclusively from political angle, neglecting its own laws and the EU regulations, despite the warning from the European Commission. According to his words, Croatia is violating international obligations and is currently under the monitoring of the European Commission.

The Coordinator of the legal and experts’ team for Trgovska gora, Borislav Bojić, assessed that in BiH there is a full consensus in all levels of government that the construction of a nuclear waste object in that area is unacceptable.

The Symposium was organized by the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of the ANURS, and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Banja Luka, supported by the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering, and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, and the Republic of Srpska Fund for environmental protection and energy efficiency.

Photo: SRNA, Nezavisne novine