Romania: Complaint by Agent Green stops the destruction of natural forest on Mehedinti Plateau

Activists from Agent Green were able to stop an illegal road construction through an old growth forest in south western Romania. Big parts of Mehedinti Pleateau Geopark were threatened, and some parts already destroyed, by plans for a controversial road construction. After the submission of a notification by Agent Green, Romanian state forests enterprise Romsilva had to stop the logging and construction on 2nd October 2019.

The Mehedinți Plateau Geopark (Romanian: Geoparcul Platoul Mehedinți) is a protected area (Natural Park – Category V protected area according to IUCN) situated in Romania, on the administrative territory of counties Gorj (5%) and Mehedinți (95%). It encompasses a hilly area (ravine, gentler valleys, limestone pavements, caves, pit caves, forests, pasture) and shelters a large variety of flora and fauna, including some rare and endemic species.

Nevertheless, Romsilva decided to build a forest road through the park, although they did not have the necessary permit from the park administration and although no adequate environmental assessment had been pursued. It seams very much likely they started to build this unapproved forest road because of logging interests in the Nature park, which is also protected as “Site of Community Interest” under the EU Natura 2000 regime. The old-growth forest on limestone is explicitely under protection of European legislation as habitat type “Medio-European limestone beech forests of the Cephalanthero-Fagion” (9150). The Habitats Directive (Natura 2000) prohibits significant deterioration or degradation of natural habiats in a good conservation status in Natura 2000 sites.

The efforts of environmental activist, Alexandru Teleaga, along with Agent Green turned out into a key success against the illegalities committed by Romsilva. After environmental activists submitted the necessary notifications to the competent authorities, the National Environmental Guard forced Romsilva to immediately stop the forest road construction. Romsilva was forced to bring the forest landscape to its initial state, after they started to build an illegal forest road in Mehedinți Plateau Geopark.

Forest machine in Mehedinți Plateau Geopark © Agent Green
Road construction destroying the forest © Agent Green