Member of Parliament Miro Bulj from the Most party stated at a press conference on Tuesday that the government favors telecommunications operators at the expense of citizens, and MP Slaven Dobrović warned that Croatia is the only country in the EU where a construction permit is not required for a base station and where the allowed level of electromagnetic radiation in public areas is almost a thousand times higher than in Paris and Vienna.
“In their countries, they do not behave like this, but respect the decisions made by the competent authorities,” he said at the press conference held in the Parliament.
“It is clear that telecommunications operators exploit loopholes in our laws and the lack of regulations governing business, but it is not clear why the Croatian government supports this at the expense of its citizens. Two months ago, I submitted amendments to the Construction Act to require a construction permit for base stations as well. It is unacceptable that a base station can be installed without a construction permit. Telecommunications operators in other countries must meet strict legal requirements. We demand that we have the same treatment, and not that powerful companies in Croatia do whatever they want,” Bulj stated.
MP Slaven Dobrović said that in Croatia it is easier to build a base station on a residential building than to close a loggia in one’s apartment.
“Croatia is the only country in the EU where a construction permit is not required for a telecommunications base station. Digitalization is an imperative of today’s society, but we must have regulated laws. In Croatia, the allowed level of electromagnetic radiation in public areas is almost a thousand times higher than in Paris and Vienna. Electromagnetic radiation affects health, especially children, and exposure to mobile telephony will become more pronounced in the future, which should be kept in mind,” emphasized Dobrović.
Nenad Bebek from the initiative Zagreb without Radiation pointed out the problem with the base station in Jarun, which was installed contrary to the GUP and without the consent of the required number of co-owners of the building on Bernarda Vukasa Street.
Ankica Kosovec Krželj from the Croatian Association for Protection from Electromagnetic Radiation emphasized that “the government claims that this issue should not be regulated by construction regulations but by regulations in the field of health and environmental protection, but EU countries have very strict regulations in these areas, as well as the obligation to request a construction permit for base stations.”
“Our initiative is not a return to the Stone Age, quite the opposite. Countries like Germany, Denmark, and Finland, where a construction permit is required for base stations, have the highest level of digitalization and the lowest level of corruption, because digitalization contributes to transparency and reduces corrupt activities, and this is what the Croatian government should apply, rather than preserving existing legislation at all costs,” concluded Kosovec Krželj.
