The city of Gospić has about 35,000 tonnes of illegally disposed waste, more than 3 tonnes per inhabitant.
78% confidence
EnvironmentCroatia
Omissions
Sources report a range rather than a single figure: several outlets cite 35,000 tonnes (The Guardian, tris.com.hr), while HRT and Balkan Green Energy News cite about 37,000 tonnes. The claim's 'about 35,000 tonnes' sits at the lower end of the reported range.
The per-capita figure depends on which population denominator is used. Against the whole City of Gospić (11,502 inhabitants, 2021 census) the figure is ~3.0 tonnes/inhabitant; against the urban settlement alone (~6,000–6,500) it would be considerably higher. Either way the 'more than 3 tonnes' statement holds.
The Guardian article (2026-09-25) was published after the session date (2026-09-17), so the MEP could not have cited it directly; however, earlier sources (tris.com.hr, March 2026; HRT reporting) already carried the 35,000–37,000 tonne figure before the session.
Some of the waste is described as hazardous, not merely 'illegally disposed', which the claim does not distinguish.
Sources
SecondaryThe GuardianAt one of the biggest, just 50 metres from Šikić's home, an estimated 35,000 tonnes of waste, some of it hazardous, was dumped and buried.
SecondaryHRT (Croatian Radiotelevision)Vještaci nisu utvrdili da svih 37.000 tona pripada opasnom otpadu. Međutim, reprezentativni uzorci zakopanog otpada pokazali su opasno svojstvo...
Secondarytris.com.hrGodinu dana 35 tisuća tona opasnog, plastičnog i medicinskog otpada truje stanovništvo; sanacija nije ni započela... Nezakonito odloženi materijal...
SecondaryBalkan Green Energy NewsThe residents of Gospić, a town where an estimated 37,000 tons were found, have sent a message that enough is enough.