Environmental concerns regarding Romania’s forestry law reform
22.3.2024
Priority question for written answer P-000911/2024
to the Commission
Rule 138
Nicolae Ştefănuță (Verts/ALE)
On 21 March 2024, the Romanian Government adopted a reform of the country’s forestry law. However, according to environmental experts, the new law has multiple shortcomings[1][2], including measures that will authorise an uncontrolled expansion of logging. This will undermine sustainable timber harvesting principles, potentially resulting in extensive, low-cost logging activities without due consideration for their cumulative impact on forest ecosystems. This poses substantial risks to forest preservation and the development of a sustainable bioeconomy.
The legislation lacks a coherent framework to promote the use of high-value timber and implement timber cascading principles. It does not establish criteria to incentivise economically valuable timber utilisation chains and the high-value processing of wood into durable products.
There are substantial shortcomings in the integration of biodiversity conservation into forest management practices. Definitions of conservation concepts are inadequate, and conservation methods remain incomplete and inconsistent.
- 1.Can the Commission evaluate whether these regulatory changes contravene EU legislation, such as the Habitats Directive[3], the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products[4], the Environmental Crime Directive[5], and other applicable directives?
- 2.Can the Commission determine if these regulatory changes are aligned with the reform outlined in the Recovery and Resilience Facility plans?
- 3.Can the Commission assess whether these changes adhere to EU environmental and climate targets as set forth in the European Green Deal?
Submitted:22.3.2024
- [1] https://wwf.ro/paduri/zi-neagra-pentru-paduri/.
- [2] https://www.agentgreen.ro/noul-cod-silvic-aprobat-de-guvern-atentat-brutal-la-siguranta-nationala/.
- [3] Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
- [4] Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation, J L 150, 9.6.2023, p. 206.
- [5] Directive 2008/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on the protection of the environment through criminal law, OJ L 328, 6.12.2008, p. 28.