Wind farm Vratarusa 2 is planned to be built near the town of Senj. The High Administrative Court annulled the decision of the Croatian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy which said that it is not necessary to conduct an environmental impact assessment study for the 24 MW wind farm Vratarusa 2.
This decision marks the end of three years long lawsuit filed by the environmental organization BIOM against the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy. The suit was first filed at the Administrative Court in Rijeka, which rejected it. BIOM then appealed to the High Administrative Court pointing out that the vicinity of the proposed construction site is a known nesting area for endangered species of vultures and eagles.
The High Administrative Court upheld BIOM’s argument that the cumulative impacts of the Vratarusa 2 wind farm with the neighboring Senj wind farm, located two kilometers away, had not been assessed. According to the conclusion of the High Administrative Court, the first instance court failed to correct the stated shortcoming, which BIOM pointed out in the lawsuit. Also, the High Administrative Court found that the Ministry’s allegations that the cumulative impacts had been assessed were not true.
