Reform at the Ministry of Environment: New minister proposes reorganization of Apele Române

The newly appointed Minister of Environment is proposing urgent measures for Apele Române and ROMSILVA, following the discovery of several irregularities attributed to the previous administration.

Natalia Intotero sharply criticized procurement decisions made by former Minister of Environment Diana Buzoianu. The new head of the Ministry claims that the former minister—who represents the USR party—had effectively blocked the reorganization of ROMSILVA.

„A working committee has been established, and our colleagues at ROMSILVA have pledged that the reorganization will be completed by March 1, 2027,” Natalia Intotero stated during a press conference.

ROMSILVA Reorganization: The New Minister’s Proposals

The Minister of Environment announced that she intends to complete the reform, which was initiated in 2024 but had been stalled for a year. Intotero noted that the audit required to facilitate the reorganization of ROMSILVA was only unblocked in August of this year, while the institution’s budget was approved just four days before the new Government took office. „Nearly 1 million lei was paid for this audit, yet the reorganization was carried out by the management without waiting for the audit results. We do not want to block the reorganization of ROMSILVA; rather, we want to see it move forward—but based on this audit and in compliance with the law,” the Minister of the Environment further explained.

Natalia Intotero announced that reorganizations will also take place at the Romanian Waters National Administration (*Apele Române*).

Hundreds of thousands of lei „thrown out the window” at the Ministry of the Environment

The new Minister of the Environment has uncovered contracts worth hundreds of thousands of lei—funds intended to make the „Gravel Pit Radar” (*Radarul Balastierelor*) application functional.

Currently, the application lacks even the legal basis required to operate.

„An initiative for the ‘Gravel Pit Radar’ was launched in 2024. Unfortunately, it is still not functional today. How much has it cost so far? Contracts totaling approximately 450,000 lei for this same application—about 265,000 lei in 2024 (paid in full in January 2025) and 185,000 lei in 2026. What happened? In the summer of 2025, the application was tested and functioned only partially.

An update—costing roughly 7,500 euros—was still required, as was a government decision to establish the necessary legal framework. The update was cancelled, and the project was restarted from scratch. The firm contracted in February 2026 failed to deliver the application,” Natalia Intotero added. What will happen with the Paltinu Dam?

Following the issue at the Paltinu Dam in 2025—which left dozens of localities without drinking water—Intotero has announced that the measures promised by the ministry have not been implemented.

„In practice, the rehabilitation measures for this dam have not been carried out. The actions required following an inspection in June 2026 have remained only on paper,” the new minister stated.

Diana Buzoianu is set to respond to these accusations during a press conference scheduled for 1:30 PM.

The former Minister of the Environment served alongside the Social Democrats during the period when the Bolojan Government held full governing powers. In May, the administration was dismissed by the PSD, followed by a six-month interim period. During this time, the remaining ministers lacked the authority to issue emergency ordinances.