The European Ombudsman has opened an investigation into the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) decision to support financing for the Poklečani wind farm project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, raising renewed scrutiny over the project’s permitting process and environmental compliance.
According to information reported by local media, the Ombudsman has formally requested detailed explanations from the EIB, along with access to documentation related to the approval process and the environmental and social assessment of the project.
The inquiry was triggered after a non-governmental organization filed a complaint, challenging the bank’s conclusion that no further action was required following an internal review of the planned wind farm, which is being developed by the utility company EP HZHB. The complaint argues that financing was approved without a sufficiently comprehensive evaluation of environmental and social risks.
Particular attention has been drawn to a prior ruling by the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which annulled the urban planning permit for the project. The decision followed a lawsuit filed by a local resident and determined that the permitting procedure had not been conducted in line with applicable legislation.
The court found that several legally required approvals had not been obtained, that unresolved property ownership issues remained, and that key questions related to cultural and historical heritage protection had not been adequately addressed. It also noted that authorities failed to properly consider the interests of private landowners and did not initiate necessary expropriation procedures.
Furthermore, the ruling highlighted the presence of archaeological and cultural heritage elements at the construction site, including traditional stone walls and wells, which were allegedly not properly assessed during the approval process. A major concern identified by the court was the absence of a finalized environmental impact assessment, despite such documentation being required under national environmental regulations.
The planned wind farm is to be located in the Štitar mountain and Debelo Brdo area near Rakitno, within the municipality of Posušje. The project envisions the installation of 20 wind turbines, each with an approximate capacity of 6.6 MW.
If completed, the facility is expected to generate around 436 GWh of electricity annually, enough to supply more than 72,000 households. It is also projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 400,000 tons per year compared with electricity produced from fossil fuels.
Beyond its environmental implications, the project would significantly expand the renewable energy portfolio of EP HZHB, increasing its generation capacity by nearly 15% and raising total annual electricity output by around 20%. It would also reduce the company’s exposure to hydrological variability and fluctuations in electricity market prices.
