Croatia’s Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure on August 11 ordered the Italian vessel Moby Drea to leave the Brodosplit shipyard and Croatian territorial waters within seven days, after inspections found it was disposing of hazardous waste in breach of national regulations.

The Moby Drea, which is anchored at the Split-based yard for planned reconstruction, has been at the centre of a public row since arriving last month for work that includes the removal of asbestos-containing panels. Environmental groups and residents have voiced fears about public health risks, prompting protests.

“The ship Moby Drea was ordered to leave the shipyard in Split and the territorial waters of the Republic of Croatia,” the ministry said in a statement. The order followed consultations earlier on August 11 between Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Oleg Butković and Environment Minister Marija Vučković.

The ministry said a joint investigation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and the State Inspectorate had uncovered “new facts and circumstances” showing that the ship’s owners intended to dispose of asbestos waste in Croatia without complying with the required cross-border hazardous waste procedures.

“Since it follows from this that this is waste disposal in violation of the positive regulations of the Republic of Croatia, the owner of the ship and Brodograđevna industrija Split dd were issued a decision to leave … within seven days,” the ministry said, adding that the period was set to allow time to organise moving the ship without a crew.

Brodosplit, Croatia’s largest shipyard, said it would comply with the order but denied any wrongdoing.

“Brodosplit has received full approval from all competent inspections to carry out the contracted work on the ship, including confirmation that all legally prescribed occupational health and environmental protection measures have been implemented,” it said in a statement on its website.

The yard said that it had not been issued a permit to dispose of asbestos waste domestically and that such waste disposal was “the sole responsibility of the ship owner”, as is standard practice with other foreign vessels.

“The owner of the ship did not carry out the necessary procedure related to waste shipments, which regulates the cross-border transfer of hazardous waste between EU member states,” Brodosplit said. “This activity is not part of the contract with Brodosplit nor our responsibility.”

The company said it would “respect all legal measures and decisions” and continue to operate “in full compliance with the law, transparently and responsibly towards all parties involved.”

Split Mayor Tomislav Šuta, who has campaigned against the ship’s presence, welcomed the decision.

“Now it’s official – the ship Moby Drea has to leave the territorial waters of the Republic of Croatia within seven days,” he wrote on Facebook. “This is not only a victory, but a clear proof that the City of Split, in cooperation with the government of the Republic of Croatia, will realise projects that generations have been waiting for.”

Šuta has argued that the Brodosplit site, a sprawling 400,000-square-metre complex, should be partly repurposed away from heavy industry. He has proposed turning half the land into an international technology centre to create jobs and reduce environmental risks.

His comments came after weeks of public pressure. On August 1, around 300 protesters gathered outside the city administration building demanding the Moby Drea’s immediate removal, chanting “Shame on you!” and accusing authorities of failing to protect residents from asbestos contamination.

Plenković said on August 4 that the government had no prior knowledge that an Italian ship containing asbestos would be repaired in Split. He said state inspectors were reviewing the case, including whether workers were being adequately protected under asbestos-handling regulations and whether hazardous waste was being packaged and stored by licensed contractors.

Asbestos, once widely used in shipbuilding for insulation and fireproofing, is now banned in the European Union due to its links to lung cancer and other serious illnesses. Handling and disposal of asbestos waste is strictly regulated, and cross-border movement of hazardous waste within the EU requires prior notification and consent from relevant authorities in both the sending and receiving states.