Illegal logging causes EUR 52 mln damages in Romania

Illegal logging caused damages of some EUR 52.1 million (almost RON 231 million) in Romania in 2013-2014, the damages in Alba, Cluj, and Maramures counties amounting to 79% of the total, according to a recent report of Greenpeace Romania. A total of 45,502 cases of illegal lodging were registered in Romania in 2013-2014, which represents an average of 62 cases per day. The number is higher than in 2009-2011, when there were 28 cases of illegal lodging per day, and compared to 2012 (50 cases per day). The authorities found that more than 1 million cubic meters of wood were cut illegally in the 2013-2014 period or 22 cubic meters per case. The figure is higher than the 120,836 cubic meters registered in 2012, and the 452,842 cubic meters reported for the 2009-2011 period. Arges county registered the largest number of illegal logging cases in 2013-2014 – more than 5,800 (or 12.85% of the total), followed by Bacau county – 3,583 (7.77%), and Mures county – 3,351 (7.36%). However, according to Greenpeace, there is a big discrepancy between the number of cases of illegal logging and the volume of timber illegally extracted from each county. Thus, although Cluj, Alba, and Maramures reported a lower number of cases compared to other counties, they registered the highest average volume per case. In 2013-2014, 78% of the total volume of illegally harvested timber was registered in Cluj (37%), Alba (23%), and Maramures (18%). The highest average damages were also registered in these three counties. When it comes to reducing illegal lodging in Romania, Greenpeace proposes harsher punishments, a better collaboration between the institutions with control duties, and an improved Forest Radar. The Forest Radar is a system that allows tracking the timber from the woods to the processing plants. Romania has 6.5 million hectares of woodland, over a third of which are certified forests. Some 3 hectares of woodland are destroyed each hour, according to Greenpeace. Romanian anticorruption prosecutors raid seven companies for illegal logging Illegal logging in Romania, on Supreme Defence Council agenda Romanians rally on Facebook for massive protests against illegal forest cutting Romania has one of the largest area of certified forests in Europe Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com