The affair involving tens of thousands of tons of hazardous waste has raised questions about the prime minister's political accountability and the speed of the chief state attorney's criminal investigation.
The illegal disposal of hazardous waste in Croatia has sparked two uncomfortable topics: one concerning Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and the other involving Chief State Attorney Ivan Turudić. According to the portal Teleskop.hr, the first topic relates to political and managerial accountability, while the second concerns the speed and scope of the criminal investigation.
On February 14, 2025, Europol publicly announced that an international network suspected of illegally disposing of at least 35,000 tons of hazardous waste had been dismantled in Croatia. Europol determined that the waste came from Italy, Slovenia, and Germany, and that the criminal organization used the resources of legitimate companies and transporters.
On the same day, USKOK launched an investigation against ten individuals and four legal entities. It was already publicly stated that waste from Slovenia and Italy was being imported into Croatia, that some of it ended up in Varaždin, Gospić, and Benkovac, and that documents were being forged, including those submitted to the environmental inspection during controls.
At that time, Andrija Mikulić was the Chief State Inspector. He has not been suspected of criminal offenses related to waste disposal, as Teleskop.hr particularly emphasizes. Nevertheless, he headed a system that was supposed to oversee waste management and environmental protection.
In February 2025, when the details of the affair were already known to the public, Mikulić was not dismissed from his position. The government only removed him on November 27, 2025, more than nine months later, and on the same day that another USKOK operation was launched against him, unrelated to the hazardous waste case.
Therefore, the question for Plenković is clear: why didn't he seek the political and managerial accountability of the Chief State Inspector as soon as it became evident that the system had failed to prevent the massive illegal disposal of hazardous waste?
The investigation began a year and a half ago, and its initial description was already very extensive: international suppliers, transporters, legitimate companies, false documentation, and connections to the inspection. Due to suspicions that he unlawfully facilitated the issuance of a waste management permit, the investigation was expanded in June 2025 to include a county official.
The complexity of such a case can explain part of the time, but after so many months, it is justified to ask why the public still lacks a complete picture of the chain: who produced the waste, who sent it to Croatia, who transported it, who created the documentation, who supervised these operations, and where institutional responsibility lies.
One should not prematurely claim that Turudić or USKOK are deliberately delaying the investigation, as there is no evidence for that. However, it is equally important not to sidestep the question of why a case characterized as an international criminal network as early as February 2025 has not yet clarified the entire chain of responsibility.
While the hazardous waste affair continues, the Government of the Republic of Croatia posted a message on Twitter on August 12, 2026, on the occasion of International Youth Day. The government, as stated in the announcement, is committed to ensuring an environment where young people in Croatia can utilize their talents through good education, opportunities for personal and professional growth, fair work, financial independence, and community involvement.
Therefore, Plenković must clarify why he left at the helm of the State Inspectorate for months a person under whose leadership there was an obvious failure in oversight. Turudić, on the other hand, must prove that the investigation will not be limited only to those who disposed of the waste, but will encompass the entire network that Europol identified eighteen months ago.
