Croatian Economy Minister Branko Vukelic sent the letter to his Slovene counterpart Vizjak on Wednesday, spokesman for the Croatian ministry Domagoj Vricko reiterated today.
The Slovene economy ministry said it had not yet received an official response from Croatia. The Slovene media today cited sources close to Vizjak as saying that Slovenia would launch an arbitration process because Croatia was not complying with Article 11 of the international agreement on the joint nuclear power plant, under which Croatia is obliged to set up a fund for the dismantlement of the plant. Slovenia has already set up a similar fund.
In his letter to the Slovene counterpart, the Croatian economy minister said that Croatia adopted a special regulation in April defining the allocation of funds for radio-active waste disposal.
Under the regulation, published in the Official Gazette in early May, over the next five years the Croatian Power Supply Company (HEP) must make annual payments amounting to 14.25 million euros to a special budgetary account.
The money will be transferred to the fund's account, after the adoption of a special law on the establishment of such a fund which, according to official sources, could be send to parliament this fall.
Installments are being made on a regular basis, te Ministry said stressing that Croatia would ensure the necessary funds.
The government and the ministry accept their obligations and stress that there is no reason to approach international arbitration.
In mid July, the Slovene minister asked his Croatian counterpart Vukelic to send him the plan of concrete moves concerning the setting up of a fund for raising money for the dismantlement of the nuclear power plant and radio-active waste disposal, stressing that otherwise Slovenia would approach international arbitration.