Bosnia and Herzegovina: Corridor Vc motorway south of Mostar needs rerouting to meet EBRD and EU standards

Local people affected by the European Corridor Vc are calling on the international community to ensure that the highway will comply with international environmental and human rights standards. In a letter to the Head of the Delegation of the EU to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Johann Sattler and several key embassies, the communities highlight recent findings of serious violations of international standards, and are requesting a rerouting of the South Mostar – Tunnel Kvanj section, to protect their land, livelihoods, cultural heritage and nature.

The Corridor Vc has received almost three billion euros in loans and grants from the European Union, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the EBRD. 

In January, the EBRD’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM) published a report from its investigation of the South Mostar – Tunnel Kvanj section. It found serious breaches of the Bank’s environmental and social policy. Importantly, IPAM found that the project has violated the do-no-harm principle by breaching standards for democratic decision-making, consideration of alternatives and impact assessment.

To remedy these violations, IPAM made recommendations for steps to bring the project into compliance with the Bank’s standards. The primary one resonated with the request from local complainants, namely that the EBRD should ‘undertake a new alternative alignment analysis comparing the current alignment with the 2011 [one] over the ridge using the updated data now available’ and ensure transparency and public participation in the decision-making process.

Although land acquisition is not complete; there are several ongoing court cases and complaints, and construction works have not started on the section, the recommendations for reassessment of the route have so far been ignored by the project promoter, JP Autoceste (JPAC). The company did not provide a formal response to the compliance review report. Meanwhile, the EBRD’s management responded that it is ‘not in the position to fully implement [the recommendation] without the (sic) acceptance by JPAC and the FBiH Government’.

Amna Popovac, a representative of local complainants: ‘Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the path to EU accession. EU standards need to be applied in the construction of EU infrastructure with EU money and huge loans from public banks. Corridor Vc is a test, whether democratic principles and human rights will be upheld or not. Our EU partners cannot stand aside and watch as the EU’s normative principles get bulldozed’.

Azra Durakovic, an impacted land-owner and complainant, added: ‘A lot has changed in the local communities since the current alignment of Corridor Vc was approved without public consultations in 2017. The villages are thriving, there is a lot of new residential development and economic activity. The project promoters need to reassess the route selection in line with the EBRD IPAM’s recommendations’.

Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, Bankwatch: ‘IPAM’s recommendations delivered justice to complainants by affirming their grievances and echoing their demands. Now it is up to the EBRD and Autoceste to deliver effective remedy by reassessing the route. The international community needs to take responsibility for the way this very costly European infrastructure is being built in Bosnia and Herzegovina with public financings.’ 

For more information:

Amna Popovac, amna.popovac@gmail.com, 0038761130717

Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, Bankwatch, fidankab@bankwatch.org, 00359877303097

Notes for editors:

The EBRD’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism case documentation can be found here.