The Croatian Association for a Healthy Workplace organized an expert conference on Waste Management, Sustainable Development on May 22, 2025, and invited presentations were given by lecturers from the University of Applied Sciences.
Dr. sc. Mirsada Ćehić and Assoc. Prof. dr. sc. Ana Rački Marinković together represented the University of Applied Sciences at this expert conference, where they presented the very topical topic of the illegal landfill of Biljana Donje.
In addition to presenting this very complex issue, which is a direct consequence of the illegal disposal of 140,000 tons of waste, our representatives highlighted the missed opportunity for its recovery, and provided insight into the outcome of the EU law infringement procedure that was conducted in this regard, which ultimately resulted in the judgment in case C-315/23 on 6 March this year, imposing a fine on the Republic of Croatia in the lump sum of EUR 1,000,000 and an additional EUR 6,500 from 6 March 2025 per day of delay in implementing remediation measures.
The conclusion of this presentation “Case study of violation of European law regarding the illegal landfill of Biljane Donje” emphasized the failure to adequately and timely recover a potentially valuable raw material and the opportunity for more sustainable waste management, which resulted in the generation of unnecessary additional expenditure from the budget of the Republic of Croatia, which will additionally include the costs of remediation of this environmental problem.
The verdict should be a warning to the Republic of Croatia to be more decisive and active in taking measures to protect the environment and the health of citizens, and to implement European law. The presented example brilliantly indicates the need for a strategic approach to such cases.