Activist sue city of Zrenjanin over Linglong tyre plant planned investment

Local activist group Građanski preokret has asked the Administrative Court to annul the decision of the City of Zrenjanin to give green light for the environmental impact assessment of the planned Linglong tyre plant.

The EIA study has already caused loud reactions from citizens and organisations in early September, when members of environmentalist and activist groups were not allowed to attend the public discussion in Zrenjanin.

The lawsuit claims that the City Administration is not competent to approve the environmental study

In its lawsuit Građanski preokret wrote that the decision is illegal because city authorities cannot give such consent. City authorities also did not act according to the rules of procedure and prevented members of the Građanski preokret and other citizens from participating in the public debate.

On October 1, the city authorities adopted a decision on approving the environmental impact assessment study prepared by the China’s tyre company Linglong, although last year the city authorities announced they are not in charge of that procedure, according to the press release on the website of Građanski preokret.

The authorities haven’t answered to questions about specific measures that will be taken to measure and prevent harmful emissions

The lawsuit seeks the annulment of the decision and a new procedure for approving the EIA study.

According to this local activist group, neither the study on environmental impact assessment, nor the decision on consent to it, include answers to written questions about measures that will be taken to measure and prevent harmful emissions of the planned tire factory.

Non-governmental organizations have already warned that there were irregularities in the preparation of the environmental impact assessment for the tire factory in Zrenjanin.