Environmental Guard issues almost RON 2.5 mln in fines for air pollution violations in Bucharest–Ilfov in 2025

The Environmental Guard issued RON 2.46 million (some EUR 483,000) in fines in 2025 as part of an intensified campaign to reduce air pollution in Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county, the institution announced. The measures followed repeated exceedances of legal particulate-matter limits and ongoing delays by local authorities in adopting mandatory air-quality strategies.

According to official assessments, road traffic is responsible for 58.4% of Bucharest’s air pollution, while residential heating contributes 27.4%, together accounting for more than 84% of PM10 emissions.

Inspectors focused their efforts on sectors and locations with the greatest impact on air quality, actions that the Environmental Guard described as complementing responsibilities that fall to local administrations.

Thus, the Environmental Guard conducted 108 inspections at industrial facilities, concrete plants, and construction sites in Bucharest. The controls resulted in 93 fines totalling RON 1.52 million for violations including failure to dampen dust on access roads, missing anti-dust netting, poor handling of materials and waste, and uncontrolled dust emissions.

In Ilfov county, inspectors checked 139 economic operators, such as construction sites, concrete factories, industrial installations, and real estate developments. Thirty-five of these operators were fined, with penalties amounting to RON 840,000.

The Environmental Guard said that it also carried out joint operations with police and gendarmerie units to identify and stop illegal waste burning, using drones to detect fire sources in areas including Vidra and Sintești.

Moreover, this year, the agency inspected the Bucharest City Hall after persistent pollution exceedances and a high number of complaints. The review found that the municipality had not completed the legally required Integrated Air Quality Plan, had no emergency measures prepared for pollution episodes, and faced major delays in creating the Green Space Register. For failing to implement previously ordered measures, the city administration received a RON 100,000 fine and was required to complete its strategic documents.

The Environmental Guard stressed that the absence of an updated Green Space Register limits the city’s ability to manage and protect its vegetation, plan the expansion of green areas, prevent uncontrolled land occupation, and link urban development policies with air-quality objectives. In a city where road traffic and residential heating drive most pollution exceedances, the agency warned that delays in this register directly affect public health.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)