Environment Minister: PSD demands suspension of management plans for Natura 2000 sites

Acting Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu announced on Wednesday that PSD has submitted an amendment requesting the suspension of all management plans for Natura 2000 sites. According to her, if the amendment is adopted, Romania risks losing billions of euros in European funds.

„PSD has just submitted an amendment to the Biodiversity Strategy to suspend the application of all management plans for Natura 2000 sites,” Diana Buzoianu announced on social networks on Wednesday. The project has been submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making body.

Natura 2000 sites are part of the European network of protected natural areas and have the role of conserving habitats and species of community interest. For each of these areas, management plans are being developed, documents that establish conservation measures and the rules according to which activities such as agriculture, forestry, investments or infrastructure projects can be carried out.

According to the interim Minister of the Environment, the suspension of the application of these plans could have direct consequences on European funding. “Romania risks having billions of euros in European funds blocked if this amendment passes, in addition to the billion euros lost from the PNRR,” warned Diana Buzoianu.

The minister claims that the impact would not be limited to the environment, but could affect investments financed from European money in several sectors. “We are talking about European funds that will be blocked, which are used today for highways, schools, hospitals, national infrastructure,” wrote Diana Buzoianu.

The national biodiversity strategy is one of the milestones assumed by Romania through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

In the form adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, the document was modified by several amendments supported by PSD and AUR, criticized by the Government and the Ministry of Environment, which claim that they could affect the commitments assumed by Romania before the European Commission.

Among the adopted changes is the reformulation of the target regarding the 50% reduction in the risk of pollution with nutrients and pesticides, so that it no longer necessarily implies a 50% reduction in the amount of pesticides used.

The senators also introduced full compensation for land owners and administrators affected by conservation measures, modified the targets regarding areas under strict protection and eliminated provisions regarding the auditing of the management of protected natural areas.