The European Commission confirms that it has received complaints about the Bala Branch from an environmental NGO

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The response of a spokesperson for the Brussels Executive, to the questions of the Mediafax reporter, came on Friday morning.

The Commission representatives confirmed to Mediafax, as the management of the Lower Danube River Administration of Galați (AFDJ) had also transmitted regarding all stages of the project that would have led to the increase in the Danube level, that the project was contested by an environmental organization.

The Bala Branch also supplies water for cooling the facilities of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, whose reactors were shut down on July 28 and August 13 due to the extremely low river level.

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Thus, the response also confirms the position of the former Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, contested by the local representatives of the organizations , who had denied having sent notifications.

Who filed the complaint?

The commission confirmed to Mediafax that a complaint was filed about the project, well behind schedule compared to the initial plan, two years ago.

In fact, the dredging works, currently underway, and the regulation of the Danube in the Bala branch area were actually proposed by energy officials 23 years ago – exactly after August 23, when it was decided for the first and only time, before July 13, to completely shut down the nuclear capacities at Cernavodă – according to a government document consulted by Mediafax.

„In June 2024, WWF CEE lodged a complaint with the Commission regarding the planned project on the Bala branch of the Danube, raising questions about the project’s compliance with applicable EU environmental requirements and the justification underlying it. The Commission remains open to any appropriate technical solution, provided that this technical solution fully complies with applicable EU and national legislation, is based on a sound analysis of options and results from meaningful consultations with relevant stakeholders, respecting the partnership principle,” Commission officials replied.

According to the spokesperson, this is the only complaint in this regard.

„The Commission has only received one complaint from WWF CEE. They are supported by the Danube Commission and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River,” the Commission said.

Regarding the correspondence between REGIO and the Romanian authorities regarding the complaints, officials could not provide details, as it was an ongoing procedure.

„Following the receipt and assessment of the complaint regarding the planned project on the Bala branch of the Danube in June 2024, the Commission facilitated a direct dialogue between the Transport Programme Managing Authority and the complainant. Without prejudice to any outcome, the complaint procedure remains open until sufficient progress is made in addressing the concerns expressed. The Commission is monitoring the progress of the dialogue between the two parties. As the procedure is ongoing, the correspondence exchanged in this context cannot be shared at this stage. Any request for access to specific documents should be assessed in accordance with the applicable rules on public access to Commission documents,” concluded the officials of the Brussels Executive.