Greenpeace wants to include 20,000 hectares of virgin beech trees in Romania within the UNESCO World Patrimony list, where similar forests from 12 other European countries would be included.

Greenpeace recently met Romanian Senate members and showed that Romania has the biggest potential for virgin beech trees in Europe.

The European program on including these forests in the patrimony is coordinated by Germany. Greenpeace found 25 such forests in Romania, such as at Coşava Mică, Cheile Nerei, Valea Cernei, Valea Higeg and Strâmbu Băiuţ - Groşii Ţibleşului.

Romania’s tentative list should be finalized by fall, and Greenpeace is supported by the Environment Ministry. UNESCO already has included Carpathian virgin beech forests, mostly in Germany, Slovakia and Ukraine, on its protected lists.

editor@romania-insider.com