Decision 40 COM 7B.95

Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia) (N 98bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B.Add,
2. Notes with concern the significant expansion of tourism facilities within the property and the fact that the concerns of the management authority of the property with regards to the procedures for issuing construction permits have not been addressed by the relevant planning authorities;
3. Considers that the scale of development of tourism facilities that has taken place in the property since 2014 represents a potential danger to its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines;
4. Notes the information that an administrative supervision will be carried out in order to evaluate the issuing of construction permits for facilities within the property by the regional planning authority, and urges the State Party to undertake such an evaluation of procedures and competences as a matter of priority and to ensure that no new permits are issued until this process has been completed and proposed developments are confirmed to not have a negative impact on the OUV of the property;
5. Requests the State Party to ensure, through the development of appropriate mechanisms, that the management authority of the property is included in the future decision-making processes regarding permissions for any development within the property;
6. Also requests the State Party to develop a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Spatial Plan for the Plitvice Lakes National Park, including a specific assessment of potential impacts on the OUV and integrity of the property, in line with IUCN’s Advice Note on Environmental Assessment, in order to inform the measures required to ensure the adequate protection of the OUV of the property;
7. Further requests the State Party to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property to evaluate the threat posed to the property’s OUV by the recent expansion of tourism facilities within the property, provide recommendations to the State Party with regards to the SEA, and to confirm whether the property meets the conditions for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
8. Requests furthermore the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 41st session in 2017.