The State Inspectorate said on Monday that its environmental protection department had initiated administrative proceedings against the investor of the 160 kW "Una-Mlin" hydropower plant on the River Una and banned him from continuing construction work.

The land on which the works are being carried out without an environmental impact assessment is located within the Natura 2000 ecological network.

In accordance with the Nature Protection Act, the Environmental Protection Department of the State Inspectorate requested an opinion from the Institute of Environmental Protection and Nature of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Change to determine whether the construction of the small hydropower plant has adversely affected the habitats of native species or caused negative environmental impacts.

The ongoing work has caused harmful effects on nature

In its report to the State Inspectorate, the institute pointed out that the ongoing work is having a harmful impact on nature and that further negative effects on the conservation objectives and the integrity of the ecological network as well as on biodiversity as a whole cannot be ruled out.

Activists from the local citizens’ initiative “Save the Una”, local residents, members of various civil society organisations, tourists and the leader of the Independent Democratic Serb Party, MP Milorad Pupovac, have protested against the construction of the Una-Mlin hydropower plant.

The non-governmental organisation Green Action has filed a complaint with the State Inspectorate against the start of construction of the hydropower plant in the immediate vicinity of the source of the Una River.